Yu-Gi-Oh! The Golden League
by Master Of Anime224
Summary: After spending years scraping the gutter to survive, Billy Blake is given a single chance to turn his life around. Through wits and willpower, he must climb his way from rock bottom to achieve the dream he had long abandoned, and become an elite among elites on the greatest stage: the Golden League. A RealityVerse fic
1. The Only Way is Up

**OP1: DragonForce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**1: Once You've Hit Rock Bottom the Only Way is Up**

The stench of a man who was about to kill you was enough to send you to the gates early.

Though she struggled, the petite woman was easily overpowered, rasping breaths across her cheek making her skin crawl. "I don't want to hurt you," said her attacker, a burly man with shaggy hair in his late twenties.

Billy Blake walked past without a second glance. Croydon could be rough, and he had enough problems without butting into other people's. Besides, he had common sense, and common sense dictated he not get himself killed for a person who would likely walk straight past him as he had her.

In his mid-twenties, he was small and pale, with crooked front teeth and shallow cheeks. Fine brown hair swept across his brow, gritty and dry, and a flat scar shone white on the side of his neck. He wore a black coat to his knees that he'd stolen from a dead guy, with ripped jeans and tattered boots.

His patrol continued, buoyed and yet flattened by the presence of easy targets. He found violent robbery distasteful; however, he had to eat. Pickings were slim, and whether he pickpocketed someone silently or mugged them violently, they would still suffer. That was the way of the world: people making other people suffer. He just preferred to do it the quiet way.

He turned a corner, deeper into a vast residential block seemingly devoid of life. The houses were uniform, red brick with black tiled roofs and white plastic doors. All had darkened windows, most by blinds or net curtains, but some by boards. The roads were cracked and the street lights were dim in the late evening, casting long shadows across the uneven paving.

Litter fluttered in the breeze as it turned Billy's coat-tails up around him, the smell of petrol fumes and tarmac filling his nostrils as the sound of distant cars and humming power lines lulled the city into sleep. Without warning, an errant sheet of paper folded across his face, making him sputter as he pulled it away, beginning to scrunch it up. He came to a halt when he caught an advertisement out of the corner of his eye.

A prize of two-hundred pounds.

To a lot of people in the city, that would be pocket change. But to him, it was a good week of not having to worry about where the next meal was coming from. He unballed the paper, revealing a flyer for a game shop in Southwark, promoting a Duel Monsters tournament that would be happening the next day.

No use to him then, he thought as he stuffed it in his pocket anyway. Several lifetimes ago, maybe, but he hadn't touched a deck in over nine years. Not since he'd cast away his leisure to survive. It was an intriguing thought, though; he felt happy memories threatening to boil up and overwhelm his caustic reality.

That had been a long time ago. He was no longer capable of happiness, nor did he deserve it. He was just a bottom-feeding gutter rat, after all.

He cast the thoughts aside and continued, turning into a dank alleyway. He swerved and leaped to the side as a large man came upon him, sandwiching himself against the wall. He gulped as the guy turned, revealing a bald head and a scarred face. He wore overalls covered in what Billy hoped was red paint, with heavy boots and a nasty grin.

Billy nodded sharply. "Mick."

"Whatcha doing wanderin' round here then, Billy?" said Mick, picking at a piece of meat in his teeth.

Billy shrunk, pressing closer against the wall. He felt a squelch beneath his shoe as he crushed a dead rodent, the musty smell of trash mixing with the fetid odour of decaying intestines. "None of your business," said Billy, sounding a lot braver than he felt.

Mick leaned in closer, eyeing Billy as he rested a hand on the wall beside his head. "But I think it is. How could you go abandoning your friends like that?"

Billy stared into his eyes, pushing the fear away. It would serve him no good here. "I don't have friends, Mick. I have people who don't want to kill me, and people who want to kill me. And I can guess which one you are." He lashed out quickly, a jab to the solar plexus which made Mick step backwards. That was all he needed.

Pushing off the wall, he took off at a canter, ignoring Mick's cries of alarm from behind him. He'd run away from Jimmy's gang for a good reason, and he wasn't about to be dragged back. He cleared the length of the alley in an eyeblink, turning left onto another residential road, full of cracked driveways and broken fences.

Hearing heavy footsteps approaching, he turned down the next alley, barely slowing. He could be ruthless in a fight, but he was a lot better at running away, having always been small and skinny. He could outrun almost anyone with sheer speed, but speed wasn't all he had, and he could ignore the voice which told him to hide. Mick would find him.

The alley was the same as the last, dark and dank and dirty, but he paid it no mind. He leaped up a wooden fence, gripping its top and scrabbling his feet to gain purchase. He hauled himself up and over without stopping to check behind him.

The garden belied the surrounding area: deep and narrow with paving and no grass, it still held a plastic slide and a swing. Idyllic suburban life for the plebeians, he supposed, though he imagined the kids were happy enough. He ran its length without paying attention to the shocked faces staring out of the window, lit bright by halogen and revealing a normal sitting room, with an aged sofa and out-of-date TV.

He let himself consider burglary for a second. Though old, the furniture would still fetch money and a family like that was an easy mark. He wondered if they'd try fighting if he went in now?

"BILLY!" Mick's roar from the gateway snapped him from his reverie and he continued at full pelt, earmarking the location in his head for later. It never hurt to be prepared. He continued hopping gardens and crossing streets, almost being run over on several occasions as the quality of both streets and houses gradually climbed.

After running for what felt like forever, he came to a stop and let his senses catch up with him. He put his hands on his knees and panted, his vision beginning to swim and blur. Breathing deeply, he listened to the sounds of growling engines and whooshing cars, seeing light as he looked up. He had managed to reach a dual carriageway. He could see junctions to either side, with a pedestrian crossing not far from him.

The road was flanked by lines of trees, houses and streets and masses of people lying behind them. There was a commercial estate a couple of hundred yards to his right, boasting a Burger King and a cinema among other things. He'd have killed for a Burger King at that moment. He recognised a name on the huge neon sign: _Monster Hunters_. His first thought was of Capcom mounting a lawsuit against a family-owned business in London, but then he remembered: the flyer which had hit him in the face had been for the same shop.

That meant he was in Southwark, which was in no way good. But the lights were almost blinding, the streetlights illuminating the late hour as though it were daytime and the noise and smell of petrol made him dizzy, so he sat back against a tree and heaved a sigh. He just wanted to be free. Of poverty, of danger, and of the person he had to be to survive. He didn't even remember who he really was, or know if that person even existed anymore. Probably not.

"Hey there," said a voice with a lilting Scottish accent. Billy panicked; he was in Terry's territory, and he owed Terry a fair chunk of change. Enough to justify the loss of limbs in the gangster's eyes, so he looked at the voice's owner, his eyes wide and almost feral.

He swallowed a bitter taste and grit his teeth, but quickly relaxed. It was a feminine figure hidden by a dark cloak, billowing hood hiding her face. She was tall and athletic, her figure under the streetlamps striking bemusement. "And who are you supposed to be?" said Billy.

The woman made a shocked noise. "Haven't you seen the drawings? I'm Lady Light."

Billy frowned. "Lady-who now?"

She pulled her left arm free of her cloak, revealing a white-and-blue duel disk with a digital display. "Have you been living under a rock? In the summer of twenty-twenty-eight, a duel tournament in Japan ended in tragedy. There's an urban legend that that tournament was just proxy to a shadow war." She span, giving her cloak a flourish. "Lady Light was one of the heroes."

"Isn't it a bit distasteful to make fantasy out of a tragedy?"

She leaned in close to his sitting form, showing a flash of dark and dangerous eyes. "It's no fantasy. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, though I find it hard to believe you have no idea."

Billy shrugged. "I don't follow Duel Monsters."

He swore he could hear her smile. "That's funny, 'cause they follow you."

A lorry whizzed by, its slipstream hitting Billy in the face and making his eyes water. He stood up, dusting off his coat and narrowing an eye. "What are you on about?"

She skipped closer to him and he almost leaped back, glaring at her. She smiled, and he saw a strand of black hair flit across her eye. He stayed focused on her, watching her entire body, his legs tensed like a frightened predator. This woman was obviously mental, and he doubted violence was beyond her. She reached into her cloak and produced something.

Billy leaped back violently, eyes not once wavering from the object in her hand. He felt heat rise in his cheeks as she laughed, high and musical and mocking. "What are you so afraid of?" she asked, teeth glinting under her hood as she unclenched her hand. "I just wanted to give you this."

He could scarcely believe it. A deck case? Why would she give something worth so much to a stranger? Was it even worth anything? He eyed her dubiously, still ready to run. The motivations of the clinically insane were often difficult to understand. "Why? What makes you assume I want it, and how am I supposed to believe what you're telling me? I think you need to be sectioned, love."

She slowly and deliberately stepped closer, still holding out the deck. "Aren't you gonna ask how it ended?"

Billy didn't jump back this time, but he stared in bemusement and sighed. "How what ended?"

"The shadow war."

"I don't care about Japanese urban legends."

"So what do you care about?"

"Myself."

Before he could blink, she had closed the distance between them and he could feel her breath tickling his nose. It smelled pleasant, of elderberries and alcohol, which at least explained the delusions. She was still uncomfortably close. Their eyes locked and he found himself staring with the thought he could see a little familiarity in the shadows beneath the hood, but it was too dark.

Her touch jolted him as she grabbed his wrist in a vice-grip, staring back into his dull brown eyes. "I've been where you are, little rat. I know that look. So I'm offering you a rope, and you can either pull yourself up or stay down there feeling sorry for yourself forever."

He couldn't say anything. He wanted to be defensive. He wanted to scream and shout and rage. He wanted to hit her. But he couldn't. Good things didn't happen to people like him, and someday he'd pay for it. Probably double, or triple. But he could say nothing. Her eyes and words pierced him like ice shards and his blood ran cold, and he reached out and took the deck from her. He opened it, revealing shiny cards, some of which he'd seen before, some of which he hadn't. But he knew that they were rare, and valuable. He'd be able to eat for a year.

"Good boy," she said, a smile stretching her cheeks. He thought he saw freckles before she backed away and corrected her hood. "Just so you know, you'll never be able to sell it. You might try, but this reality simply doesn't work that way." She turned on her heel and walked away, waving off any further question.

"Silly bitch," Billy muttered to himself, turning back down the street he had come from. He wanted out of Southwark, and he wanted out quickly. Unfortunately, reality didn't work that way. He had barely cleared the tall, thin trunks of the decorative trees when he noticed a group of four guys walking directly towards him. He kept walking, ready to spring aside. His bones became taut as tension overtook every sinew and tendon.

There was somebody behind him.

He turned quickly enough to give himself whiplash, catching full the figures of two men: one tall and lanky, one short and stout. They were both in their early thirties, and had scars and tattoos all over their bare arms. As his brain cycled through numerous escape scenarios, he idly recognised the short guy. It was Ben, a guy he'd worked with when he was fresh out of prison, who'd shown him the ropes. He clicked his tongue and put his hands in his pockets. "Evening, gents."

"Hands out your pockets, Billy," said Ben, the guy to his right just grunting and trying his utmost to look primitive.

He did so, holding them up to his head. "Come on, mate, is there really any need to be holding people up in the street?" He grinned, hoping it would disguise the panic rising in his gut.

"When a bloke like Terry wants to see ya, then yeah," said one of the four behind him. He turned to see that the largest man had spoken, a mountain whose beard could have been its own separate ecosystem. Like the rest of the men, he wore dark clothes and the brim of a baseball cap shadowed his eyes.

Billy's eyes kept flitting between the two groups which flanked him. "Couldn't he have found me himself? This is quite rude, y'know."

The yeti growled. "Manners cost."

Billy pulled a face. "I think you're missing part of the phrase."

"'Bout twenty grand, plus interest," said Ben. "We don't wanna hurt ya, mate."

Billy laughed, though he wanted to cry. "Are you for fucking real? That's all you idiots do."

Ben's face darkened. "Do you think you're any better?"

He paused, staring straight at Ben. He was among the worst of the worst, but looking at these guys and seeing the way they cornered him like a wounded animal? It made him sick. He made himself sick. Finally, Billy realised that what the madwoman had said was true. He had climbed a step up the rope she had thrown, allowed himself to hope, and seen the filth on the ground for what it really was.

He thrust his chin out and said, "yeah, I am. At least I have the self-awareness to know that I'm-"

Everything went black.

* * *

Well, he wasn't dead.

That was the good news. The bad news was that he had no idea where he was. He could guess, being that he'd been knocked out from behind in the street and could now feel ropes digging into his wrists, which rested on the wooden arms of a chair. He inhaled sharply as he tried to move, his ankles in a similar position. The air was stuffy and smelled of dust.

He opened his eyes, registering first the desk in front of him. It was hardwood, polished and clean, topped by a laptop, a smartphone and several piles of paper. The light in the room was dim, and there were no windows. There was a man sitting in the ornate chair behind the desk, toying with a Browning handgun in his gnarled right hand.

He was tall and well-built, missing several teeth and all of his hair. He wore a neat, black half-beard and an eyepatch over his left eye, the reflective skin of his pate making his weathered face appear darker. He wore a Moss Bros suit, navy blue and tailored to fit his contours. His face was set in a sneer even as he turned to face Ben and the walking Gillette advert behind him.

"How hard did you hit him, Dec?" The man's cockney accent denied the existence of the letter 'h'.

"Hard enough," replied Dec, flinching away from his boss.

"Leave your pet Silverback alone, Terry," said Billy, eyeing him blearily. "I'm awake." He tried to muster his greatest level of defiance, but he was breathless. Helpless.

Terry smirked, point his gun idly at Billy. "Good lad. Now, I think you know why you're here."

"If you want advice on a new suit, you're asking the wrong person."

Terry stood and reached across the desk, cracking him in the jaw with the butt of his pistol. "Enough of the smart mouth. I want my money."

Billy sighed, fighting the urge to start trembling. "I don't have it."

Terry frowned and licked his lips. "That's a problem, Billy. You know what happens to people who don't pay their debts, don't you?" He slammed his weapon into the desk. "We take their assets!"

Billy smiled mirthlessly. "I don't have any assets."

Terry grinned, a dark void peeking through the gaps in his teeth. "You know how much a kidney goes for, huh? Or your lungs?"

Billy gulped, his words cracking through his dry throat. "More than I owe you."

Terry shook his head. "Makes no difference. But I'm a sporting man, so I'll let you keep your organs."

Billy glared suspiciously. "What's the catch?"

"You come and work your debt off."

His heart sank and he felt his hands slipping on the rope. He saw the state of what was beneath him, the pit he'd just started climbing from, and the slender hope he'd allowed to take root fled. He'd spent all of his time down there without realising how dirty he really was, justifying his sin with the need to survive. But he didn't want to be that filth anymore.

"Go fuck yourself, Terry," he said. "I'd rather die."

Terry chuckled. "That don't sound like you. What happened to 'anything to survive'?"

"I had an epiphany."

"And what was that?"

"There's a difference between living and surviving."

Terry nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing as he looked Billy up and down once more. "True enough. But you won't be doing either, soon enough."

"Yes, because threatening me is magically gonna make twenty grand appear in my pocket."

Dec growled. "Don't talk to him like that."

Billy's eyes widened. "Are you still here? I thought you'd gone to eat bugs off of your mates' backs."

Terry held out an arm to restrain his underling. "It's fine, I'm sure you've got something interesting in those pockets. Like I say, I'm a sporting man. So how about a game of cards, and a bet to go with it?"

Billy looked up, wondering. He was good at bluffing, and better at cheating. He was banned from half of the casinos in London, and Terry knew that. So what was he thinking? "What's the bet?"

Ben sighed, seeing Billy's train of thought. "No offence, boss, but is this the best idea?"

"Don't question my judgment," said Terry. "There's a reason I'm in charge."

Billy said, "I always thought it was the gravity the eyepatch gives you." He wasn't sure why he was still talking.

Terry's expression darkened. "When I find the bitch who took my eye, I'll put her in the ground. As for you, the ground's too good for you. You win, you get time and freedom to get my money. You lose, you work for me. And for that last comment, you can lose an eye when you lose, too."

Billy's heart did somersaults. Was he really being offered this chance? Two good things in a single day was unheard of for him, but he wouldn't look this gift horse in the mouth. There was no other choice, really. He'd have to play. "What's the game? Blackjack? Poker? Go Fish?"

Terry grinned, putting down his gun and pulling a deck of cards from inside the desk. "Duel Monsters."

Billy missed a beat, dumbfounded. "I can't, I don't play."

"Really? 'Cause that lump in your pocket looks suspiciously the exact right size and shape to be a deck, don't ya think?"

Billy looked down at his jeans, seeing the bulge and remembering. That was his rope. His meal ticket. He hadn't even considered the idea of using it, but in that moment, he felt an unbearable connection with the cards. He couldn't explain why, but he wanted to use them. To fight with them. "You'll need to untie me."

Terry gestured and Dec and Ben reluctantly removed the bindings from Billy's arms. He put his deck on the table, Terry doing the same. "We'll keep these two as witnesses, to make sure neither of us cheats. You know what you're doing?"

Billy looked down at his hands, rules and mechanics slowly returning to his mind. "Vaguely."

Terry offered his own deck to Billy, prompting a look of confusion. With an aggravated sigh, Terry snatched Billy's deck from his hands and began shuffling it with an expectant gaze. Billy clicked on and did the same before passing the deck back.

"I'll start," said Terry.

"DUEL!"

**Terry: 4000**

**Billy: 4000**

"I'll start by summoning Gold Gadget **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1700)**," said Terry, placing the card on the desk. "And with his effect, I can also special summon Silver Gadget from my hand **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1500)**! And he has the same effect, letting me summon Red Gadget **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1300)**!"

Dec sneered at Billy. "See that? There's no way you can keep up with the boss's swarm tactics!"

Terry smiled. "Red Gadget's effect lets me add Yellow Gadget to my hand. Now I think I'll overlay my Red and Silver Gadgets!" He stacked the cards on top of each other. "Xyz summon! Rank four, Gear Gigant X!" Reaching into his extra deck, he placed the black-bordered card on top of the stack **(Rk. 4, ATK: 2300)**. Immediately, he removed a material from the stack. "By removing an overlay unit, I can add another Silver Gadget to my hand! I set a card and end my turn."

Billy eyed the field. It was strong, and he hadn't played in almost a decade. How was he supposed to get through that? "Draw." He surveyed his hand carefully, reading every card.

"Hurry it up!" said Dec.

Terry waved him down. "Let him have his stay of execution. Won't change the end result."

Billy bristled. Did people really think so little of him? He supposed he deserved it, but it still irked him: the idea that he'd failed before he started. He would be better. He had to. "I activate the effect of the Super Soldier Messenger in my hand!"

Terry narrowed his eyes. "I've never heard of that card."

Billy smirked. "Neither have I. But by discarding it, I can add a Black Luster Soldier from my deck to my hand!"

Ben clicked his tongue. "That's too powerful."

"Hmph," said Terry. "He won't be able to summon it."

Billy ignored them. "I'll add a card we've all heard of, Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning!"

Dec chuckled. "Like that'll do anything."

As Billy went to play his next card, he realised his mistake. He could have made an easy combo, but had searched the wrong card. He grit his teeth as he kicked himself, but had no choice but to continue. "I summon Sacred Soldier Apprentice!" He put down a card with art resembling a younger version of the Sacred Soldier **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1800)**. "And it attacks your Gold Gadget!"

Terry eyed his set card, but moved Gold Gadget to the space above his deck instead **(Terry: 4000 - 3900)**. "Looks like you drew first blood."

Billy said, "it won't be the last either. I set two cards and end."

"Then I'll draw," said Terry. "And I'll summon Gold Gadget!"

Billy did a double-take. "Are we in the TARDIS right now or somethin'?"

Terry smirked. "It's why my deck's unbeatable. I'll call out Silver Gadget and with his effect, Yellow Gadget **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1200)**!"

"And that adds another Gadget to your hand, right?" said Billy, looking over Terry's field with consternation.

"The Green one, to be exact," said Terry.

Dec flinched. "Don't go talking 'bout green, boss. That last batch tasted like arse."

Terry growled. "You'll be tasting my mastiff's arse if you don't shut up. Now, by using the Yellow Gadget on my field and the Gold Gadget in my grave, I can special summon the Boot-Up Corporal - Command Dynamo!" He palmed the two cards and placed down the new monster **(Lv. 4, ATK: 0)**.

Billy knit his brows. "It has no attack points."

Ben said, "any duelist knows not to underestimate a monster with no attack points, even the idiots in our arena."

Terry said, "the monsters I use to special summon it are then equipped to my Command Dynamo and for each one, it gains a thousand attack points **(ATK: 0 - 2000)**. Next, the effect of my Gear Gigant X will add another Yellow Gadget to my hand!"

"Don't think so," said Billy, showing Terry a card. "I can send Ghost Ogre & Snow Rabbit to my graveyard to destroy your monster!"

"But like MST," countered Terry, "it doesn't negate the activation, so I still add Yellow Gadget to my hand!"

Billy's face fell. It was a basic ruling understood by children, dogs and even the idiots in Terry's so-called arena (since when did he have an arena?). He'd managed to forget it. Even nine years of barely knowing the game existed wouldn't make up for that spectacular blunder. "Well obviously, but now you're minus a monster."

"No problem," said Terry. "I'll bring out a better one. I activate my trap card, Metalhold the Moving Blockade!"

"Isn't the point of a blockade that it stays in one place?" asked Billy.

Terry's eye twitched. "Why don't you ask the designers at Imanok Industries, hm? Now stop pissing me off or this game can end with a bullet through your brain." He put the gun to Billy's head for effect.

"Safety's on," said Billy.

Terry clicked it off. "Next smartarse comment?"

Billy swallowed. "So what does Metalhold the not-a-real-Blockade do?"

Terry lowered his arm, replacing the weapon in his desk. "It equips any number of my level four machines to it while summoning itself as a monster." He moved the card forwards into his monster zone **(Lv. 4, ATK: 0)**. "I equip the Gold and Silver Gadgets on my field, adding their attack power to Metalhold's **(ATK: 0 - 3200)**!"

Billy whistled. "That's a big… whatever it actually is."

Ben said, "stop getting caught on semantics and play the damn game." Dec grunted in agreement.

Billy threw up his arms in protest. "It's not my turn!"

"No," said Terry with a predatory smile. "It's mine, and it's my battle phase! Command Dynamo attacks Sacred Soldier Apprentice!"

Billy sighed as he moved the card to his graveyard **(Billy: 4000 - 3800)**. He was glad that real damage didn't exist, because if it did, the next one would hurt like a bitch.

Terry continued, "And Metalhold the Moving _Blockade_ attacks directly **(Billy: 3800 - 600)**! That's the end of my turn."

Billy drew, and he knew what he should do instantly. "I banish Ghost Ogre and Super Soldier Messenger from my graveyard to special summon Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**!" Billy was curious about the sly smile Terry wore, but paid it no heed. "With his effect, I banish Metalhold at the cost of not attacking this turn!"

Terry moved his cards without a word, and Billy sighed. That was about all he could do, but he definitely had an advantage now. What was supposed to be his deck's ace was standing strong on the field, unchallenged by any of Terry's monsters.

So why was the gangster still smiling? Had he played into his hands somehow? He felt something, a pull, an allure, and looked at his set cards. Instead of declaring the end of his turn, he flipped one of them as he realised what he'd done wrong.

"I activate the trap card, Beginning of Heaven and Earth!" He could only chuckle inwardly as Terry's smile dropped. "I pick three warriors from my deck, and you pick one at random. If it's a Black Luster Soldier or Gaia the Fierce Knight monster, it goes to my hand while the rest go to my graveyard."

"Win-win," mused Ben. "He gets a monster and grave set-up." Dec grunted something about futile efforts.

Terry said, "so what are the three cards?"

Billy selected them from his deck and showed them to Terry. They were Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier, Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier and Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight. "Say, Ben. You remember the three-card monte days? Palming the queen and scamming any idiot who wanted a go?"

"Yeah," said Ben suspiciously.

Billy placed the three cards face-down and began shuffling them. "I never lost, now that I recall. How's your boss at games like that?"

Ben smirked. "Awful."

Terry shot him a pointed glare before turning back to the cards. "You'd better not have cheated."

Billy gasped mockingly. "Moi? I'm offended at the thought."

He pointed at the card on Billy's left. "I choose that one."

Billy flipped it and added it to his hand, putting the others in his graveyard. "Thanks for that, Terry; just what I needed, actually. I banish the Sacred Soldier Apprentice from my graveyard to special summon Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier!" He threw the card down with authority, a grin beginning to break out **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**. He was starting to enjoy himself, to remember why he'd loved this game. He could once more imagine himself with a pro career and his name in lights.

Of course, he'd missed the chance at an education required by the American PDC, and he doubted the Platinum Corporation would be willing to market a man who'd spent the end of his adolescence in prison. Still, he could dream, and he could let his new hope guide him to victory. He would climb out of the gutter, by any means necessary.

He said, "the effect of Sacred Soldier returns a banished monster to my graveyard when it's summoned, and I'll choose Super Soldier Messenger!"

Dec barked a laugh. "Pointless."

Billy replied with his own laughter. "Ye of little faith. The same effect also banishes an opponent's card, and I choose Command Dynamo!" Terry grumbled as he removed the card from play entirely. Billy said, "now Sacred Soldier attacks directly **(Terry: 3900 - 900)**! I end my turn."

What started as a chuckle evolved into deep belly laughter as Terry struggled to get a hold of himself, his pair of lackeys similarly chuckling. "You could have won last turn, but you bodged it!"

Billy felt a vein pop in his forehead. "Call it a handicap."

Terry eyed him darkly. "You'll regret that handicap. It'll cost you an eye." He drew his card. "I activate Pot of Desires! By banishing the top ten cards of my deck face-down, I can draw two!"

Billy was confused. "That's a hell of a risk."

Terry winked. "It paid off, lad. I summon Green Gadget **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1400)**!"

"And add Red?" said Billy.

Terry said, "exactly. But now I'll send Red and Yellow Gadget from my hand to my graveyard to summon my strongest monster!"

Billy blinked. It wasn't like they were in a holographic field in front of a crowd of thousands, so what was the need to be so dramatic?

Terry said, "meet your end, Billy Blake, in the Boot-Up Admiral - Destroyer Dynamo **(Lv. 8, ATK: 2500)**! Once per turn, I can use his effect to destroy one card you control, and I'll get rid of that Sacred Soldier of yours!"

Billy flipped his final set card. "Trap card, Super Soldier Shield! This'll negate your effect that targets my monster and destroy your Admiral!"

Terry smirked. "Not quite. While I control a Gadget monster, Destroyer Dynamo can't be destroyed by battle or card effects!"

"You still don't have the attack points," said Billy.

"Not yet," retorted Terry. "The quick-play spell, Limiter Removal!"

Ben whistled. "It was entertaining while it lasted."

Dec said, "still not the best part yet."

"This doubles the attack points of all my machines, at the cost of destroying them at the end of the turn. Of course, the end of the duel will come first **(BUA - DD ATK: 2500 - 5000, Green Gadget ATK: 1400 - 2800)**. Dread Dynamo attacks Sacred Soldier, and you lose, Billy."

"Nah," said Billy.

Terry looked at him as if he'd grown a second head. "What do you mean, 'nah'?"

The corner of Billy's mouth played up as he took one of his final two cards and showed it to his opponent. "I mean nah. Kuriboh, bruv."

The three men in front of him were gobsmacked. "No-one uses that card anymore…" said Ben.

Billy grinned. "Come on, mate, am I really that insignificant that I'm no-one?"

Terry looked at the field, his insides threatening to boil over. The monster had been destroyed, but his opponent still survived. He had no cards left, and no choice but to leave his fate to the hope of another misplay. "I end my turn."

"So both your monsters are destroyed," said Billy as he drew, not even looking at the card. "You're wide open. Envoy of the Beginning attacks directly to end it **(Terry: 900 - 0, winner: Billy)**!"

Terry began collecting his cards, a glum look on his face. He muttered darkly to himself about smartarses and psycho women and duels, but caught himself as he looked up to find Billy staring at him. "You may untie your own ankles."

The relief was palpable. He had won, somehow. He looked at his reassembled deck, Envoy of the Beginning staring back at him. He could have sworn he felt something, but it was probably just his excitement shining through as he discovered that he could actually _do _something. How could he have ever thought of selling them, his rope, a tie to his soul? He was more than just a criminal, more than just filth, and more than he'd ever thought himself to be.

As he released himself and stood, he nodded at Ben. He knew it was nothing personal, and he might still need favours. Best not to alienate the few allies he had. He was surprised to see Terry stick out a hand, but he took it anyway, wiping sweat from his brow that had congealed before he had noticed it with the other.

Terry said, "fair play, geezer. You can have time and space, but don't think about running. We'll be watching."

Billy exhaled slowly. "Fair do's, Terry."

"How you gonna get it for me, then? From the way you was speaking, sounds like you want to go straight. Hard to earn when you're straight."

Dec laughed. "He'll never go straight."

Billy glared at him and held up his deck. "I've found a useful skill, and there's money in it."

Terry narrowed his eyes. "Not much until the big leagues."

"Every little helps." Remembering, Billy shuffled around in his inside pocket, producing a crumpled flyer. When did it start again? "You got the time?"

Terry checked his watch, a silver Tag Heuer Billy hadn't noticed. "Five to ten."

Billy started. It had been close to ten when he'd been picked up. "In the morning?"

"Yup," said Terry. "You were out for a good ten hours."

"Shit," said Billy as he flew out of the door. He was in a dark and plain corridor with cracked walls and a staircase at the end. He ascended with a cacophony of creaking and opened the wooden door, its paint fading and chipped, and breathed in the fresh morning air.

He was still in Southwark, that much he knew. Idly, he wondered if he should have asked Ben for directions, but any of them could have led him astray out of spite. They acted sportsmanlike, but people were basically the same. He chose to turn left, remembering the Lee Child books he had read in juvie: _when in doubt, turn left_. It was as good a direction as any.

He looked for landmarks, but the cellar he had just emerged from was that of an old but well-kept town house, the same as the others on the impossibly long street he walked. It wasn't an upmarket neighbourhood, but everything was tidy and presentable. A steady stream of traffic went past him, the fumes invading his crinkling nose. The sun was bright, the clouds sparse.

After a couple of minutes of walking, he found what he was looking for: a McColl's store sandwiched between houses. He went in and asked for directions, noting the time on the clock as he walked past a man in a bicycle helmet. Fifty minutes until registration shut, or until the participant limit was reached. A bead of sweat fell, and he wondered if he'd make it.

He saw a mountain bike resting on the shop window, unchained and unlocked. People were stupid, thinking they could do things like that in London. Still, he was determined to change, determined to become better, and so he couldn't be like that anymore.

Still.

People didn't change overnight, did they?

He stole the bike and set off in the direction he had been pointed.

* * *

**ED1: Shinedown - Better Version**

* * *

**AN: **A chaos theme, eh, howEVER could that be relevant…

***Ahem***

Right, I said I'd be better with updates, so here we are a mere 2 weeks later with the first chapter of this one! Yes, Billy's a dick with an extensive criminal history. Yes, some weird Scottish woman is cosplaying Lady Light. How does she know? Well, this story actually starts in the Spring of 2029, whilst Reality's Curtain mainly takes place in summer of 2028 (alongside Mark of Death, funnily enough, and that will be reflected in the edits). So why jump ahead? I mentioned that in the AN for Chapter 11 of RC.

This one is a project I've been looking forward to for a long time, as you can tell by me starting it in the mid-season break of RC. It's the last single-protagonist work of what would be the RealityVerse's Phase 1 (thank you NovaZardX for the MCU comparison) so it'll actually tie together better than you expect. I hope.

Why did mysterious cloaked woman just give Billy a deck? What's all this about cards following people? All this and more shall be revealed… at some point.

As usual, here is a list of OC cards used in the chapter, since I'm too lazy to figure out how to make it work with already-existing cards. As a side note I won't beg for reviews, but it would be nice to know if you liked it. One line will do me.

Super Soldier Messenger  
DARK/Warrior/Effect  
Level 4  
ATK: 1500 DEF: 900  
You can send this card from your hand to the GY; add 1 'Black Luster Soldier' monster from your deck to your hand

Sacred Soldier Apprentice  
LIGHT/Warrior/Effect  
Level 4  
ATK: 1800 DEF: 600  
If this card is in your GY: you can banish it; special summon 1 'Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier' from your hand


	2. Walking Blind is How You

**OP1: Dragonforce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**2: Walking Blind is How You…**

It was a twenty minute ride fraught with idiotic pedestrians in the cycle lanes and one enterprising police officer who had thought to try to catch Billy for his lack of a helmet. He had failed. The legendary streets had whizzed by, glimpses of the Globe and Cross Bones Graveyard a blur against the concrete backdrop.

Having made good time, he slowed on his approach to the retail park from which he had been kidnapped. It was on the divide between boroughs, so traffic was heavy for the late morning hour, but Billy was able to weave through it. He cruised into the approach, passing the Burger King and a TK Maxx outlet as he was forced behind and around Monster Hunters by a bunch of barrier ropes around the car park outside it. Were they expecting massive queues?

Dismounting the bike as he rounded the final corner, he leant it against the wall and chuckled to himself as a man in his mid-twenties outside the door swore into his phone. The building was plain with a green facade and windows tinted in the same colour, a barrage of posters assaulting his vision advertising Magic and Vanguard and Warhammer and all kinds of things that gave the boast on the door about being 'the Nerd's Mecca' at least a portion of a leg.

Dominating the windows which composed the shop's front was a poster for that day's tournament: as well as money, there were cards as prizes, and any extra value in his pocket could be helpful. He smiled. He felt like a child again, ready to let go of his worries and immerse himself in competition. He was in it for the money, but what harm was there in enjoying himself?

* * *

"You're a lucky man," said a tall blonde in his thirties with glasses and a long nose. "You have the last spot." He eyed Billy's wrist curiously as he passed his registration to the little old woman next to him who could have been his mother. "Don't you have a duel disk?"

Billy's face fell. His mind had been so intent on just getting there that he'd forgotten how these things went. "Shit," he said. "It'd help, wouldn't it?"

The shopkeeper bent down and started rummaging under the counter. "There's always one." He produced an aged and scratched duel disk, old enough to only have a digital display for the life points and no zone for banished cards. Even older than the kind he'd grown up with. A flash of nostalgia struck him as he took the disk, remembering the childish declaration on his seventh birthday that the duel disk he'd received would take him to the top.

That was another life. He couldn't look back; only forwards. "Cheers," he said, stepping away and taking in the interior. The two side walls were covered with shelves stacked high with booster packs and manuals for every game imaginable, foldable chairs and tables leaning against the back wall, the middle an open space full of models and glass cases. A few people had set chairs in the spaces to wait, poring over decks in preparation. Billy approached one of the models, a machine-like monster with blades for hands, brushing his fingers across the plastic's smooth finish. He didn't recognise it, but he liked it.

He stepped away to the back wall, noting the door in the corner. The inside was too small to be playing with holograms, after all. He grabbed a manual from one of the shelves and pulled up a chair. If there was waiting to be had, he might as well do something with the time.

A game could change a lot in nine years.

* * *

Billy was trying to reconcile the idea of a card being both monster _and_ spell when he heard a chair snap open in front of him. He looked up to see a smile beneath a black hood, and he sighed in exasperation. Having read enough craziness trying to catch up with rule changes, the last thing he needed was an unstable drunk to talk crap to him.

"You came," she said.

"Did your cards tell you that?" He looked back at the manual.

"It was more of an educated guess." She yanked the booklet from his hand, eliciting a glare. "How do you like your deck?"

He raised an eyebrow. "It's like it was made for me. Why'd you give it to me?"

She tapped her fingers on her knee. "I told you, didn't I? They _chose _you, and it feels like it was made for you because it basically was. The cards work in mysterious ways."

He sniffed as he eyed her. "Right."

The whites of her teeth glinted as she grinned. "So how does it feel? You're here instead of mugging somebody in the street, that has to mean something, right?"

He glared at her. "I've never mugged a person in the street. Piss off, would ya?"

"Make me," she said.

Swallowing his aggravation, he said, "what do you want, a 'thank you' or something? 'Fraid I'm all out of gratitude for the month."

She waved his comment away. "I mean, it would be nice, definitely… but all I want is to not see great duelists waste their potential."

Great duelists? He hadn't picked up a deck in nine years before the previous night, what about him was supposed to be great? "What do you know about my potential? Without any of the cryptic bullshit."

She tilted her head. "Let's just call it a gut instinct."

He sighed heavily. She clearly wasn't going away, and he did owe her some gratitude, so maybe answering her question wouldn't hurt. "You wanna know how it feels? It feels like I'm blind. Like my eyes have been adjusted to the dark for so long they can't handle stepping into the light, and I have no idea where I'm going."

She hummed. "So why not let them adjust?"

He cast his eyes down and steepled his fingers, becoming somber. "I've been rolling in the trash too long; I'd forgotten what things looked like with the sun shining on them. I've got no time to waste: the longer I stand still, the easier it is for a hand to pop out and drag me back down. I'd rather walk blind any day."

She looked into his eyes, and he saw a hint of understanding. Sure, the woman was crazy, but he felt a little better about his confusion. She said, "spoken like a man with nothing to lose." She smirked. "But do you always tell your life story to strangers?"

Billy almost had a fit. After she'd helped him from his mire, he'd thought to be civil, at least. People were crap, but maybe she wasn't. Or so he'd thought. "You asked!"

She laughed, and he was cut off from his retort by the shopkeeper's voice. "Attention duelists!"

"If he mentions his hair, I'm out," muttered Billy.

"Thirty-two have entered," said the shopkeeper, sweeping his blonde hair to the side, "and only one shall leave!"

"I thought we were doing it outside?" came a voice from near the back door. "How are we supposed to go outside if only one person leaves?"

"Um…" said the shopkeeper.

Someone else said, "What happens to the thirty-one who don't leave? Do you have a work camp in the cellar or summit?"

He threw his arms up. "It's a figure of speech! If everyone would like to make their way out the back door in an orderly fashion, we can begin. Feel free to bring a chair if you have a spectating ticket and," he gestured to the old lady behind the counter, "the shop will be running as normal with the lovely Norma over there." She waved.

People began gathering chairs and heading towards the door whilst one person said, "will there be any refreshments?"

The shopkeeper glared at him. "For free entry? Do you have any idea how much it cost to reserve that car park for the day? There's a Burger King across the lot, go and get a Whopper!"

Billy chuckled. A woman carrying a chair said, "Free entry? Why's it not free to watch, as well? I paid a fiver for this, and it's outside behind some ropes? I paid a fiver for a folding chair!"

The shopkeeper clicked his tongue. "You paid to support amateur duelists, and I am not responsible for your choices."

Billy ducked out of the door, following the trickle of people who had grown bored with the exchanges. Trying his hardest not to break out in fits, he removed himself before he ended up dying of laughter, his hooded acquaintance following soon after. They were in the cordoned-off section of the car park, the spectators quickly setting up chairs around the edges of the area as duelists gathered in the centre.

It was a large area, probably around half the size of a football pitch. A few onlookers stopped to give pause to the cordon, but quickly carried on, cars driving around the area as if nothing was abnormal. Billy yawned as he watched the shopkeeper stand in front of the gathered crowd, his back to his shop, and start speaking.

"Right," he said, "so it's pretty easy actually. Single-elimination all the way, four duels at once so this doesn't take too long. As you can see, we've reserved plenty of space, so just try not to have your monsters stepping on the audience and we should all have a good time, okay?"

"What if we're not here for a good time?" said a kid standing next to Billy. It was the same voice that had been making smart-ass comments inside, so Billy elbowed him in the ribs. No-one stole his role.

"Ow!" said the kid, and began launching into a rant that Billy didn't listen to. He was more focused on the shopkeeper announcing the match-ups.

"'Kay, so round one, first block, first match: Alec Brent versus…" he glared to the hooded woman stood a few feet from Billy. "Do you actually expect me to call you that?"

He couldn't see it, but Billy knew she was smirking. "Read it out, boyo."

The shopkeeper sighed. "Alec Brent versus… Queen Harper."

Everyone paused, eyebrows raised in puzzlement. What problem was there with reading that out? Harper said, "and the title, Timothy."

The shopkeeper growled. "Number one, it's just Tim. Number two, why? Why must I reduce myself to reading out this overly dramatic monstrosity of a title when the likelihood is that the only title you actually possess is 'unemployed fangirl'?"

She laughed. "I didn't realise that you had to eschew your senses of humour and drama to run a shop. Can't you just play along?"

Tim sighed again. "Match one: Alec Brent versus Queen Harper, the Dominator of Light."

Muffled sniggers ran across the crowd, but Billy had no interest in muffling himself, roaring with laughter and clutching his sides as he gazed at the so-called Queen Harper. "What are you supposed to be, a dominatrix for guys with an Assassin's Creed fetish?"

She sniffed. "Why, do you have an Assassin's Creed fetish?"

Billy was ready to retort when Tim said, "match two: Billy Blake versus John Smith!" He stepped forward, joining Harper and some kid he assumed to be Alec Brent. Another kid joined him, a lanky teen with ginger hair and a face full of freckles. The one he had elbowed. He glared at Billy.

The other two match-ups were announced and the duelists, once paired, each found themselves a space in the makeshift arena, those yet to compete moving off to the audience. Billy positioned himself twelve feet from the ginger kid, slotting his deck into his borrowed duel disk and pressing the on button. The mechanism whirred as the blades slowly spread out and connected in the middle. He was ready. He looked to his opponent.

"So," said Billy, "is John Smith a real name or did you finally regenerate into a ginger?"

John's lip twitched. "I am not Dr. Who!"

"But you are The Doctor…?"

John looked ready to explode. "You think you're all clever and that, right? You think you can just elbow people in the ribs and make fun of them, well you've got another thing coming!"

Billy stared. "In my defence, an elbow to the ribs is pretty much universal speak for 'you're not funny, mate'."

Gesturing to the field, John said, "why don't you go first? At least then you get a turn before I own you!"

Billy smirked, drawing his opening hand. "Big words. Let's see if you can back them up."

They both shouted, "duel!"

**Billy: 4000**

**John: 4000**

"I'll start with the field spell Gateway to Chaos!" said Billy, manually pulling open the field spell slot and placing his card inside. The field was overtaken by a warm blue light, a ball of white radiance hovering above. "When I activate this card, I can add a Black Luster Soldier or Gaia the Fierce Knight monster to my hand, so I'll go ahead and choose Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Evening Twilight!"

A silhouette of the monster shot to Billy's hand from the ball of light as he took the card from his deck. "I set a monster and a card face-down. Your move."

John grinned, drawing his card with a flourish. "Is that all you can do? Was it even worth entering knowing you're about to see your every hope dashed before your eyes? Observe as my perfect one-turn kill takes shape!"

Billy's eye twitched. He understood that the audience wanted to be entertained, but there was such a thing as too much, and this kid clearly didn't understand the concept. "Alright, Doctor Gammon, get on with it."

John chuckled. "You won't be so smarmy when I'm done. I'll start by activating The Monarchs Stormforth!" Statues of Mobius and Kuraz appeared next to Billy's set monster. "With this, I can tribute one of your monsters for a tribute summon, so I'll tribute your set monster to summon Batteryman Charger!"

The Monarch statues glowed, disintegrating as the set monster turned into a ball of light and crossed to John's field before disappearing, a humanoid battery appearing in its place, sparking with electricity **(Lv. 5, ATK: 1800)**. "Batteryman Charger's effect means that he gains three-hundred attack and defence power for each thunder-type I control, including himself **(Batteryman Charger ATK: 1800 - 2100)**!

"And he's not done either! When he's successfully normal summoned, my Charger can summon out a Batteryman from my hand or deck, so I summon out Batteryman 9-Volt!" Charger raised its arms, its entire body sparking in time with John's deck, and a nine-volt battery appeared and flexed its arms **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1000) (Batteryman Charger ATK: 2100 - 2400)**.

Yawning, Billy said, "if all of that's resolved, my Gateway has an extra effect. Any time a monster is sent from the field or our hands to the graveyard, it gains a spell counter!" The hovering ball of light gained brightness **(Gateway to Chaos: 1 Spell Counter)**.

John sniggered. "Like it matters! Your card can't do anything until next turn, and you don't have one of those! I activate the effect of Batteryman 9-Volt: when he's summoned, I can add a Batteryman from my deck to my hand, and I add Fuel Cell!" He took the card from his deck. "And when 9-Volt activates this effect, his original attack and defence are doubled **(Batteryman 9-Volt: ATK: 1000 - 2000, DEF: 1000 - 2000)**!"

"Oh no," said Billy, holding his hand to his mouth in mock amazement, "my life points!"

Placing a card on his disk, John said, "since I control two Batteryman monsters, I can special summon my Fuel Cell from my hand!" the monster sparked into existence next to its fellows **(Lv. 6, ATK: 2100) (Batteryman Charger ATK: 2400 - 2700)**. "I'm not done yet, since I still see a face-down! I use Batteryman Fuel Cell's effect: I tribute one Batteryman monster other than Fuel Cell and return one of your cards to your hand! I'll tribute 9-Volt and get rid of that trap: Power Surge!"

Fuel Cell flexed, grabbing hold of 9-Volt and shoving the monster into its chest. 9-Volt became a mass of crackling blue, the power being absorbed by Fuel Cell, who then took aim and launched a blast at Billy's face-down **(Batteryman Charger ATK: 2700 - 2400)**.

Billy smirked. "Thanks for the extra counter **(Gateway to Chaos: 2 Spell Counters)**, but I can't let you do that! I'll activate my set card in response: Exchange of Night & Day!" The card flipped, and images of the night sky and daytime began overlapping on the field. "By sending a dark-attribute warrior like Envoy of the Evening Twilight from my hand to the grave, I can add a light-attribute warrior from my deck to my hand!" A silhouette of the Envoy was enveloped by the night sky, the image slowly brightening to reveal sunlight **(Gateway to Chaos: 3 Spell Counters)**.

"I add Envoy of the Beginning to my hand!" said Billy.

John sniggered. "So? You're still wide open, and I have enough attack points to finish you! End this, my Batterymen!"

Watching the two monsters advance on him, Billy shook his head and sighed. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe, just maybe, I was never too bothered?"

John's face fell. "What?"

Billy smiled. "I activate the effect of the Battle Fader in my hand! I special summon it and end the battle phase." The pendulum-like monster morphed into existence, letting out a gong which stopped the Batterymen in their tracks.

John almost had an apoplexy. "Seriously?! What the hell? After everything I just went through for this OTK and you stopped it with a _Battle Fader?_"

"Don't underestimate hand traps," said Billy, pretending he hadn't learned what hand traps were less than an hour before.

John threw up his arms. "I end my turn."

"Sure you wanna do that?" Billy mocked. "You won't get another one, after all."

"Shut up!"

"Fine," said Billy. "Draw! And first I think I'll use the second effect of Gateway to Chaos: by removing three Spell Counters, I can add a Black Luster Soldier ritual spell to my hand **(Spell Counters: 3 - 0)**! I'll add my Super Soldier Ritual, and then I'll use the gift you gave me."

John furrowed his brows. "Gift?"

Billy said, "last turn you sent my Super Soldier Soul to the graveyard; by banishing him, I can add Beginning Knight to my hand!" An apparition of a set of regal armour appeared, the figure inside looking lifeless. The apparition exploded in a flash to reveal a card hologram which flew to Billy's hand.

John said, "Oh. That." He looked glum, like a dog who had begged too enthusiastically and received a smack on the nose with a newspaper.

"I activate Super Soldier Ritual" said Billy, slapping the card into his disk as a magic circle formed on the field, flanked by candles in the shape of axes. "I tribute Beginning Knight and Envoy of Chaos to ritual summon Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier!" The shapes of the two tributed monsters were raised on plinths within the circle as eight candles sparked into life, half draining the energy from each monster and roaring into life. As the tributes disappeared and the flames reached their zenith, an imposing warrior in ornate armour wielding a slender blade and a shield emerged, blue light seeming to emanate from its equipment **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**.

John gave Billy a flat look. "Is that it? No chant or anything?"

Billy eyed him. "Why would I be chanting? Are we in a secret cult?"

John flapped his arms. "For drama! You're performing a magical ritual to create a new monster in ways not normally possible, it needs flair!"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Billy. "What kind of magical ritual is fuelled by pieces of cardboard? It was unnecessary ten years ago, it's still unnecessary now, and I am not doing it."

"All the pros do!"

Billy sighed. "Good for them. Since I used Beginning Knight to summon Super Soldier, he can banish one of your monsters!"

"Wait, what?"

"I target your Fuel Cell! Dimensional Beginning!" The warrior pointed his sword at Fuel Cell, a purple energy building up to be released and open a tear in the universe into which the helpless Batteryman was sucked **(Batteryman Charger ATK: 2400 - 2100)**.

John said, "and what's not dramatic about naming your effects?"

Billy said, "there's such a thing as being _over_-dramatic, child. Now, Super Soldier attacks Batteryman Charger!" The monster charged at the Batteryman, ramming it with his shield before slashing through with his blade **(John: 4000 - 3100)**. "Super Soldier has an effect of his own, too! When he destroys your monster in battle, you take its attack points in the grave as damage!" Super Soldier raised his shield, calling a blue light down and reflecting it at the ginger **(John: 3100 - 1300)**.

John smirked at Billy. "Thought I didn't get a next turn? You've run out of attacks!"

Billy arched his brow. "Who said that? Beginning Knight gives another effect to Super Soldier! When he destroys a monster by battle, he can attack again!" The monster rushed John, who stood dumbfounded. He didn't react as Super Soldier slashed through him **(John: 1300 - 0, winner: Billy)**.

As the holograms faded, John fell to his knees, shaking. Billy turned away from him, his first holographic duel in years leaving him with a rush of adrenaline he usually associated with fight-or-flight. He needed to calm down. He looked at the duels around him: two were still going on, but they looked close to finishing. Harper was stood off to the side, watching him intently. Because that _definitely _wasn't creepy.

John held his head in his hands for a second, seething. "Dammit… dammit! How could I lose to such a… such a…"

"Sound guy?" suggested Billy.

Harper began approaching the ginger kid. "I think the word you're looking for is 'buzzkill'."

Billy made a face. "I don't remember anyone asking you."

She ignored him, placing a hand on the kid's shoulder. "Listen, you lost. It happens to everyone, so stop whining and get over it. If all you can do is complain about what you can't change instead of learning from your missteps, then you don't deserve to call yourself a duelist."

John looked up at her, eyebrow raised. "Do I know you?"

She laughed. It was a musical sound. "If I was going to answer that question, do you think I'd be walking around with a big, shadowy hood over my face?"

John stood up, a small smile gracing his lips. "Guess not. Thanks for the pep talk!" He turned towards Billy. "I'll have you next time, you shithouse!" He walked over to the audience, plopping himself cross-legged on the floor.

"Bold of you to assume there's a next time," said Billy as Harper walked over and stopped right in front of him. She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "I think that might be the first time I've heard you speak any sense, you know."

She giggled. "Don't hurt yourself. Just be a good boy and don't lose till I crush you, 'kay?" She patted him twice on the cheek and walked past him.

He turned, momentarily dumbfounded. "You do realise you're taking this role-play thing too far, right?"

She half-turned, angling her head so he could see the impish smirk developing on her face. "Who says it's role-play?"

* * *

Billy found his eyes glued to the rest of the first round duels, forgotten passion stirring in his chest as he analysed every move to the moon and back. It wasn't just a fun game to play. He felt like his understanding was deepening with every turn he watched, his appreciation for the intricacies and tactics greater than they ever were in his childhood, even if he had to sit and listen to the overdramatisation of every extra deck summon.

He watched the first block of the second round silently too, wondering what challenge his next opponent would bring. When his name was called to duel against someone called Sam Jones, he plodded over to the closest open space and stood, waiting with his hands in his pockets.

He watched as the other three duels began, looking over to the empty space where his opponent should have been standing. "Oi Tim! Where is this guy?"

The shopkeeper, who hadn't moved since the tournament's beginning, shrugged. "What do I look like, his mum?"

Billy gave an aggravated sigh. "So am I just supposed to stand here like a lemon then? How long do I have to wait?"

Tim shrugged again. "There's a five minute grace. You've successfully wasted one of them by complaining."

Billy mirrored the shrug, walked back to the audience and took an unattended chair before walking back to his spot and sitting down, facing the direction of Harper's duel with a fat guy in his mid-twenties called Louis. He had patches of beard adorning his ruddy cheeks, and his clothing was more of an Adidas collection than an outfit.

He had a set monster, two set cards and Ghostrick Mansion active, the haunted house looming over their field. Harper had two face-downs, and it was her turn.

"Ghostricks," she said. "You've ended up with the worst possible match-up."

Louis grinned, his crooked teeth sticking out. "Everyone says that right before my monsters annoy them to death!"

Harper smirked. "I activate my face-down, Chain Material! With this, I can use monsters from my deck for a fusion summon this turn!"

Louis gulped, and Billy watched with interest as chains shot out from the card and linked with Harper's deck. He wondered just what kind of ridiculous monster she'd need to use monsters in the deck for.

Harper said, "I'll follow up by activating Fusion Gate! We all know what that does, so I'll leave off the explanation and instead just banish Elemental HEROes Burstinatrix, Bubbleman, Avian and Clayman from my deck for a fusion summon!"

A wormhole warped into existence above the field, pulling silhouettes of the four HEROes from Harper's deck. "Earth, wind, fire and water. Merge as primal existence and become unbreakable! Come forth, Elemental HERO Electrum **(Lv. 10, ATK: 2900)**!"

Billy sighed as the monster emerged from the portal. Apparently, he was the only one around with a hint of sanity in his brain, but then again, had he really expected better from the kook with booze on her breath and a funny costume?

Louis said, "Thanks to my Ghostrick Mansion, you can't attack my set monsters and have to attack me directly instead, except you'll only do half the damage!"

Harper said, "who said I'm attacking, boyo? Electrum's effect returns all my banished cards to my deck, so I think I might as well bring out another one for good measure!" The golden HERO glowed, four lights of the colour of their elements shooting out and back to Harper's deck, before the Gate took them once more and another Electrum appeared **(Lv. 10, ATK: 2900)**.

"Two level tens," said Billy. "Glad I'm not that kid."

Harper held her arm to the sky and said, "I overlay my two level ten Electrums to create the overlay network! Dredge your load into the fires of war!" A galaxy formed in the sky, drawing in the two monsters, which became energy and combined in the spiral. "Rank Ten! Superdreadnought Rail Cannon Gustav MAX!" From the portal emerged a train with a mounted cannon longer than it was **(Rk. 10, ATK: 3000)**.

Billy whistled. He looked at his watch, a silver off-brand model covered in scratches, and sighed. Two-and-a-half minutes.

Pointing at Louis, Harper said, "Gustav MAX's effect means that by detaching an overlay unit, I can inflict two thousand damage to you!"

Louis paled. "But thanks to Ghostrick Mansion's effect, all effect damage is halved! Besides, you can only do that once per turn, right?"

Smiling, Harper watched as one of the stars orbiting the monstrous train was loaded into its cannon. The sound of its shot reverberated through the car park, making Billy think that the people in Burger King were probably scrambling for cover, and a gout of fire struck Louis directly **(Louis: 4000 - 3000)**.

She said, "yep, just once per turn for each card. Lucky I have another, then, and I'll start the cycle again by banishing my Gustav MAX and the Electrum in my graveyard!" The two monsters were sucked into the Fusion Gate. "Hero to all, become one with the earth and endure!" She clasped her hands together as the two monsters merged. "Come forth, Elemental HERO Gaia **(Lv. 6, ATK: 2200)**!"

Billy checked his watch again. Ninety seconds.

Harper said, "and now I banish the four HEROes in my deck to summon my third Electrum!" The monster fused and flexed its muscles as it burst from the portal, Harper returning the banished Gustav MAX and Electrum to her extra deck and the four HEROes to her main. "And here comes another one!" She repeated her action, the two warriors glaring down at a dumbstruck Louis.

Billy rolled his head back. "For a foregone conclusion, this is taking an age…" He checked his watch: a minute left.

Harper grinned. "Once again, I build the overlay network! Annihilate him, Gustav MAX!" The pair of Electrums were again drawn into the cosmic portal, emerging as two stars orbiting the train. One of those was absorbed by its weapon, the flames engulfing Louis and even going on to lick the walls of the Monster Hunters shop, the duelist grunting as he fell to a knee **(Louis: 3000 - 2000)**.

Louis looked up at Harper, eyes wide. "Please stop. This is embarrassing."

She smirked. "You have all the power to end this."

Louis sighed and put his hand over the top of his deck. "Damn it… I surrender **(Louis: SURRENDER, winner: Queen Harper, the Dominator of Light)**."

Harper said, "pleasure playing with you, boy."

Louis glared at her, finding his feet and storming away.

Billy looked at his watch. "Oi Tim! Can you not just call it now?"

Tim sighed. "Fifteen seconds, William."

Billy stood up. "Conveniently the amount of time it'll take me to walk up there and kick your arse, _Timothy_."

Tim glared at him. "Threaten me again and you'll be disqualified, _William_. In any case, that… is... time. Congratulations, you get a bye, now sit down and shut up."

Ever the spirit of defiance, Billy snapped his chair shut and turned on his heel, almost being knocked to his backside by Harper's incoming form. She said, "that's a shame. You're really fun to watch."

Billy gave an exaggerated bow. "I'm so happy I can fuel your voyeurism, your majesty."

She grinned. "Do you make fun of everyone like that, or am I special?"

"Special's one word for it, I suppose."

A loud, panting voice said from next to Tim, "did I make it?"

"Nope," said the blonde. "Come back next time."

"I only went for a shit! Isn't this a breach of my human rights?"

Billy walked up to the guy he assumed was Sam Jones and handed him the foldable chair. "You know, if you'd cut a hole in the seat of one of these and attached a bucket, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation."

Sam stared at him. He was tall and in his late teens with a buzz cut. He squared up to Billy, who was at least four inches shorter, and said, "this is unfair! Shouldn't we duel anyway in the spirit of competition?"

Billy blinked. "Nah bro. Blame your bowels, not me." He cut off any possible reply by walking away. He'd already dealt with enough idiots for one day, and it was barely even afternoon.

He looked towards Harper, who was lounging in a foldable chair. The woman was insane, annoying and dramatic, but she'd handed him a lifeline and seemed determined to watch him take it. In his experience, people simply weren't like that: they tended to be self-serving and lacking of empathy, but he didn't sense either from her. Just mystery and a vague hint of a goal. He felt compelled to figure out her deal, and there was only one way he could think to do that.

He'd have to duel her.

* * *

**ED1: Shinedown - Better Version**

* * *

**AN: **And you thought that Lady Light was a terrible superhero name...  
Billy is so much fun to write and the kid seriously deserves some kind of award for the utter shithousery he produces. We're getting into meat & drink with the duels now, but unfortunately local level opponents are, predictably, not really protagonist quality. So what's Billy's play when he's done with this tournament? And who is Harper, and what is her goal? Any relation to the Realityverse's _other_ Harper, I wonder...?

RC chapter 1 revised version is live if you wanna check it out, and the review button is far away either *wink*. Favourite and subscribe if you enjoy it and wanna see more, and if you think anything about the story at all or about the fledgling verse as a whole, please drop one of those juicy-ass reviews!

As an aside, I've realised that posting status updates and release date projections on my profile _really_ isn't an effective way to communicate with my fans (if there's even any left after that 2-year break lol), so if I were to start a Twitter account for Realityverse news and such, would anyone actually follow it or would it be pointless? I'll leave a poll on my profile. There were no OC cards today, so that's a wrap.


	3. demonstrate Defiance

**OP1: Dragonforce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**3: ...demonstrate Defiance**

Billy was annoyed. Patience had never been one of his virtues, and he wanted the tournament over with. The game was fun, his deck was strong, and he had skill, but he needed the prize money. He wished for a moment that he was playing FIFA, with an option to simulate his next match, but he wasn't, so he'd have to grind through his opponents to get there. And he still wanted to uncover Harper's motivations, but that was secondary.

Looking over at Tim, he marvelled at the man's endurance. He hadn't moved once, despite the afternoon wearing on and several people crossing the lot for a burger. He was standing in a loose pack of eight duelists including Harper, a girl who couldn't have been more than fifteen, and a middle-aged guy with his own postcode, all gazing expectantly at the blonde stood in front of his shop.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said, addressing the still-sizeable crowd, "only eight duelists remain in the field of battle!"

One of his fellow duelists tried to make a smart comment, but Tim cut him off with a glare. Billy said, "so let's make it four."

Harper eyed him. "Well, somebody's in a rush."

Tim said, "got somewhere better to be?"

He did, actually. He would feel a lot better with money in his pocket, somewhere far away from the hunting grounds of gangsters baying for his blood, even if they did have a truce. Jimmy's goons tended to avoid Southwark as well, but if he was spotted then all bets were off, and he had a new life to start living. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a growling in his stomach.

Harper laughed. "Aw, are you hungry?"

He hadn't eaten since the previous morning, but he couldn't show weakness to his competition. "The only thing I'm hungry for is victory."

"Well then," said Tim. "Let's get on with it. Since you're so impatient, pal, I'll read you out last."

Billy made a face but said nothing as Tim read out the match-ups. By the time the others had paired, the only other person left was the teenage girl. Oh joy.

"Billy Blake versus Sally Howarth!" said Tim, crossing his arms. "Now have fun or else!"

Sighing, Billy looked to the girl. She was short, with sheets of sandy hair and a blue ribbon around the collar of a sundress. He hated teenagers. They were stubborn, had no understanding of reality and basically existed to make trouble for people, so he wasn't looking forward to this. He had better things to be doing with his time than babysitting.

Sally smiled, dimples depressing her cheeks as she took her place several feet in front of him. "This should be fun!"

Billy activated his duel disk and drew his hand. "I'll be the judge of that."

Sally pouted. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't worry about it, kid," said Billy, smiling mirthlessly.

"Duel!"

**Sally: 4000  
Billy: 4000**

"I'll go first!" said Sally, beaming. "I'll be sugar and you be spice, but brace yourself 'cause I don't play nice!"

Billy groaned. He had no time for such childish drivel. "Not everything has to rhyme, you know."

She giggled. "I know, but by the time this duel is over my sweetness will have you smiling whether you like it or not, Mister Grumpy!"

"You're not gonna make me do anything, especially if you keep coming out with corny shit like that," said Billy.

Sally mock-gasped. "Language!"

He sighed. "Just start the duel already."

"With pleasure," she said. "I'll begin with the field spell Madolche Chateau!" A castle made of cakes appeared behind her, a moat of syrup encroaching their field. She did a little dance and looked at Billy expectantly.

Billy stared in bemusement. He guessed they'd make cards out of anything nowadays. "Just so you know, context doesn't make you any funnier."

"That's not nice! Madolche Mewfuille, teach him a lesson!" A pink kitten materialised as she slapped the card onto her disk **(Lv.3, ATK: 500)**. "And thanks to Madolche Chateau, all of my darling Madolches gain five-hundred attack and defence power!" **(Madolche Mewfuille ATK: 500 - 1000)**

Billy rubbed his brow. "Why is it sat on a vanilla slice?"

She took another card from her hand. "Sugar runs through the veins of the Madolche, so everything they do is full of sweetness! Now, Mewfuille's effect allows me to special summon another Madolche from my hand, so please welcome my Madolche Messengelato!" The kitten dug up a piece of the confection beneath it and threw it into the air, whereupon it morphed into a blue-haired boy in a messenger's uniform **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1600)**.

"And Madolche Messengelato's effect lets me add a Madolche spell or trap to my hand!" The monster drew a piece of gelatinous paper from its bag and threw it at Sally. Halfway through its flight, it turned into a card, the hologram resolving with the card she had taken from her deck. "My choice is Madolche Ticket! And don't forget about Chateau **(Messengelato ATK: 1600 - 2100)**!

"Next, I'll activate the Ticket I just added to my hand!" Behind the Madolches appeared a floating scroll, a quill held static above it by an unseen force. "I'll set another card and end my turn. Your move, grumpy-boots!"

He sighed as he drew his card. He'd come for a tournament, not a theatre group, and his sighs were close to becoming growls. "I'll start by activating Advanced Ritual Art!" A stone altar flanked by a henge materialised, dwarfing the competitors and monsters present. "By sending two normal monsters from my deck to the graveyard whose levels equal that of a ritual monster in my hand, I can summon that monster!"

Sally gasped. "That's not fair!"

Billy clicked his tongue. "Neither's life. I drop Alexandrite Dragon and Mystery Shell Dragon to summon the level eight Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier!" The henge was enveloped by blue flames as the spirits of the two monsters were drawn into the altar. The flames overtook everything, and then receded to reveal the armoured warrior **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**.

"Super Soldier, attack Madolche Mewfuille!" The light emanating from the warrior seemed to intensify as he stepped towards Mewfuille, who cried in terror, and slashed straight through the creature **(Sally: 4000 - 2000)**.

Sally looked on the verge of tears. "My adorable little Mewfuille!"

Billy ignored her. "It's not over yet, since Super Soldier's effect inflicts damage to you equal to your monster's attack power in the graveyard!"

Sally stuck out her tongue at him. "If it needs Mewfuille in the graveyard, then I'm afraid it's useless! Sugar is energy, and energy can't be created or destroyed, so any Madolche monster destroyed by your cards is returned to my deck!"

Billy stared. "Clever. You come straight here from your BTEC physics class or something?"

She grinned. "I'm in the triple award class, thank you very much! Now thanks to the effect of Madolche Chateau, my Mewfuille gets to return to my hand instead of my deck!" Energy swirled from the sugary castle in the background, and the monster seemed to reform around Super Soldier's grounded blade before becoming a ball of light and floating into Sally's hand. "And with the effect of Madolche Ticket, when a Madolche returns to my deck or hand, I can add another one to my hand from my deck! I add Madolche Cruffsant!"

"You missed one thing," said Billy. "Super Soldier requires your monster to be sent to the graveyard. It doesn't need it to stay there."

She inhaled. "Well then, I suppose I have no choice but to activate my trap: Madolche Nights!" Darkness overtook the castle as the warrior readied his sword once more. Shadows appeared to bleed through the field, enveloping Super Soldier as he grunted and struggled against an invisible binding. "Since your monster activated its effect whilst I have no monsters in my graveyard, I can negate the effect!" Super Soldier sheathed his sword.

"That doesn't help you get rid of my three-thousand attack point monster, does it?" chided Billy.

"Maybe not," said Sally, pouting. "But just you wait and see!"

"Whatever," said Billy. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."

She drew. "Then it's mine, and I think I'll start by getting rid of your ugly eyesore of a monster! I once again present Madolche Mewfuille to the audience!" The kitten appeared next to Messengelato **(Mewfuille ATK: 500 - 1000)**. "And with her effect I'll summon out the fluffy and adorable Madolche Cruffsant!" Mewfuille threw its piece of cake to turn into a puppy wearing a top hat **(Lv. 3, ATK: 1500)**.

"And this one has a croissant… cute."

"Thank you!" She beamed, ignoring the sarcasm. "He'll be even cuter once he's powered up by the world's sweetest chateau **(Cruffsant ATK: 1500 - 2000)**!"

Billy shook his head. He felt like he was interacting with a character from a badly-dubbed kid's cartoon.

"I told you, grumpy, I'll turn that frown upside down, and I'll do it with Cruffsant's effect! By returning a different Madolche to my hand, his level increases by one and his attack power by three-hundred. I'll return Mewfuille so that you can't bully her anymore!" The puppy produced a jar of jam, pulling a spoonful and offering it to Mewfuille. Lapping it up, the kitten mewled and disappeared in a puff, the energy flowing into Cruffsant **(Lv. 3 - 4, ATK: 2000 - 2300)**. "And since that triggers my Ticket, I'll add Madolche Hootcake to my hand!"

Billy sniffed and furrowed his brow. The girl might have talked like an idiot, but she had assembled a pair of level four monsters whilst conserving her resources. He knew exactly what was coming next.

Sally pointed to the sky. "I overlay my level four Cruffsant and Messengelato to create the overlay network!" A galaxy manifested in the sky, the shining stars casting shadows of the cake castle. A twinkling noise could be heard as the two monsters transformed into energy and blasted off into the portal. "Return from the melting pot as the ultimate confection of beauty! Eat your fill, rank four: Madolche Queen Tiaramisu!" The castle spat out a piece of coffee cake which became a throne to seat the monster that emerged **(Rk. 4, ATK: 2200)**.

Billy furrowed his brow. "Is that your big play? Even with the boost from Chateau, it's not enough." **(Tiaramisu ATK: 2200 - 2700)**

She giggled again. "That's why monsters have effects, silly! By removing an overlay unit from my gorgeous queen, I can return up to two of your cards to your deck by returning an equal number of Madolches from my grave to my deck!"

Billy gulped. With the overlay unit included, she'd have two Madolches in her graveyard, and he only had two cards out. His face-down was currently useless anyway, but was more so in his deck, and Super Soldier was his only defence. It seemed he'd underestimated the cutesy bugger.

"I return Madolche Nights to my deck to get rid of that big lug of yours!" The queen raised her sceptre and pointed it at Super Soldier, forcing him to contort and disappear. "And now that you're wide open, it's time for a smile! Madolche Queen Tiaramisu, direct attack!" Still imperious on her throne, the monster aimed her sceptre at Billy, a stream of syrup and icing buffeting him **(Billy: 4000 - 1300)**.

Watching the hologram pass over him, Billy almost choked. It may not have been real, but that didn't mean he didn't feel phantom syrup sticking to his skin. "And why would I smile? I'm pretty sure you just gave me diabetes."

She huffed. "Then my next move will be the insulin to bring a grin! I set a card and end my turn."

"I draw!" said Billy. He examined his options, wondering what Sally's next move would be. If her set card would prevent a direct attack, her advantage in resources would overwhelm him, and he would have no defence, plus she must have left his trap alone for a reason. Only one thing for it, then. "Since the number of light and dark-attribute monsters in my graveyard is the same, I can banish all of one attribute to summon Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Evening Twilight!"

An apparition of Mystery Shell Dragon floated over the field, being absorbed into an extra-dimensional portal from which emerged a warrior clad in black and white armour with a shield attached to his left arm **(Lv.8, ATK: 3000)**.

Sally frowned. "Doesn't your monster understand colour clashes?"

Billy said, "I doubt he cares. And when he's successfully special summoned, I can activate an effect based on the attribute of the monsters I banished. Since Mystery Shell Dragon is a dark-attribute monster, I can banish a card from your hand until your next end phase!"

She put her hand to her mouth. "You're so mean!"

Billy sighed. "So am I just supposed to let you win?"

Sally made a noise as a hologram of her hand popped up above her, shuffling itself before a random card shattered. "My Mewfuille!"

"You know you don't have to tell me what the card is, right?"

She glared at him. "It's called enjoying yourself, silly Billy!"

Billy's eyes widened. Making wordplay jokes with his name was almost as irritating as people calling him William or making allusions to the poet. "Envoy of the Evening Twilight, destroy Madolche Queen Tiaramisu!"

As an amalgamation of light and shadows fused around the warrior's sword, Sally giggled once more. "This is why you're a silly Billy! I activate my trap card to teach you a Madolche Lesson!"

Billy groaned. A dinner table covered with a frilly pink tablecloth, candles and desserts materialised in front of Sally's monster.

She said, "by returning one one of my sweet friends from my graveyard to my deck, I can increase the attack and defence power of all my Madolches by eight-hundred points!" Tiaramisu took a bite of cake before glowing with energy **(ATK: 2700 - 3500)**. "And I'll use the effect of Ticket to add Madolche Anjelly to my hand!"

The Envoy continued charging his power, raising his sword before crossing the field in a flash and landing in front of the Madolche Queen's throne. He swung, and the sound of metal clashing with metal reverberated as the sword was blocked by a sceptre, its wielder smirking. Tiaramisu shot a stream of syrup, drenching the struggling warrior as he screamed and melted into a puddle of goo **(Billy: 1300 - 800)**.

"That's grim," said Billy. "I set two cards and end my turn." The reverse cards appeared beside the one already present.

Sally twirled as she drew, pointing towards Billy while the skirt of her dress rippled. "Final turn!"

"Wrong game."

"That doesn't make it any less true! I start by summoning Madolche Anjelly!" A tiny girl on top of a slab of jelly rose from the Chateau and descended to the field **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1000 - 1500)**. "And with her effect, I can tribute her to summon Madolche Chouxvalier from my deck!" The monster lay down on her bed of jelly, sinking in as it turned into a choux-à-la-crème which produced a boy on a horse wielding a candy sword **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1700 - 2200)**.

"Next, I activate my Double Summon spell card, so I can normal summon again this turn! I summon the endless wisdom of Madolche Hootcake!" The monster materialised, surrounded by chicks **(Lv. 3, ATK: 1500 - 2000)**. "And with that wisdom he can banish a monster from my graveyard to summon a different Madolche from my deck!" It hooted, calling forth a silhouette of Anjelly which solidified into a different monster. "Come forth, my dessert princess! Madolche Puddingcess **(Lv. 5, ATK: 1000 - 1500)**! And when I have no monsters in my graveyard, she gains eight-hundred attack points **(ATK: 1500 - 2300)**!"

Billy whistled.

She giggled. "And now I detach an overlay unit from my Queen to activate her effect! By returning Madolche Lesson and the Cruffsant I just detached to my deck, I'll return all but your middle set card to your deck!" Tiaramisu drew the star orbiting her into her sceptre, waving it at Billy's back row, causing the cards to ripple.

"I guess you were right," said Billy. "That was the final turn." He smirked. "I activate my trap card in response: Entropic Decay!"

Sally's expression faltered, and she stared at the digital display on her duel disk whilst pressing it a few times. "That's so cool! What set is it from?"

"No idea," said Billy. "But I do know that when you've banished a monster from your graveyard this turn, I can chain this card to one of your effects and negate it!" An invisible force grabbed the sceptre, swinging it away from where it was pointing as it became dust and his cards re-solidified. "What's more, it inflicts that monster's original attack points to you as damage!" The dust exploded into a cloud, engulfing Sally **(Sally: 2000 - 0, winner: Billy)**.

The girl grinned as the holograms faded. "Ha! Told you I'd make you smile."

"Of course I'm smiling," said Billy. "I won."

She made a noise akin to a lawnmower running over a hedgehog, looking as if steam were about to start rising from her ears. She was about to speak when Tim sauntered over, laying a hand on her shoulder and shaking his head before handing her a piece of paper.

"A voucher, for being such a good sport," said Tim, a small smile overtaking his features. "Valid from now until the end of time. Use it well."

Sally's eyes brightened and she jumped up and down before taking off towards the shop's back door. Tim glared at Billy, his face a mask of contempt. "If you'll look to your right," he pointed, "the first semi-final is already underway. You may be wondering to yourself where your next opponent has gone. Well, he left."

Billy shrugged. "I'll take it."

Sighing, Tim shook his head. "No, you won't. You know why he left? 'Cause apparently, he didn't want to have to play with such a shitbag."

"And?" said Billy, ignoring the smattering of boos coming from the audience.

"You really don't get the point, do you?" Tim pulled a metal pipe from the breast pocket of his green polo, rippling the shop logo as he rummaged. He packed the pipe from a tin he took from his jeans, producing a lighter as he looked despondently at Billy. "You don't get a free pass for being unpleasant, mate. So you're dueling me." He took a hit from the pipe.

Billy made a face as the smell wafted over. "Are you smoking weed?"

"I'll need it if I'm gonna deal with you. Now, since you've been so impatient all afternoon, let's get straight to business, shall we?" He activated his duel disk, white blades emerging from the digital display as he drew his opening hand.

Billy did the same. "You're a bit of a dick yourself, you know that?"

"Duel!" they both shouted.

**Tim: 4000**

**Billy: 4000**

"I'm going first," said Tim. "And I begin by activating the field spell, Dragon Ravine!" Several sheer cliff faces grew from the ground, casting tall shadows beneath a setting holographic sun. An eagle flew overhead, cawing. "By discarding a card, I can add a Dragunity monster from my deck to my hand!"

Billy said, "you know you're past it when even I know what your cards are."

Tim licked his teeth. "Are you really telling me you don't see how much of a prat you are? Whatever the case, I discard Dragunity Phalanx to add Dragunity Dux to my hand, and then I'll summon it!" A winged-beast wearing a skirt flew into the Ravine **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1500)**. "And when he's summoned, I can equip him with a level three or lower Dragunity in my graveyard, and there's only one there!" A golden Phalanx appeared in Dux's hand.

Tim said, "And what's more, Dux gains two-hundred attack points for every Dragunity card I control **(ATK: 1500 - 1900)**! But I'm not done, since Phalanx can special summon himself when he's equipped!" The weapon shot from Dux's grip, unfurling to reveal a dragon **(Lv.2, DEF: 1100)**. "I now tune the level four Dragunity Dux with the level two Phalanx!"

The dragon took flight, becoming two green rings as Dux took to the space within them. Becoming four stars, the winged-beast then overtook the rings in a pillar of light. "Be as the warrior to equip your friend and weapon! Synchro summon, level six! Take flight, Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana!" The light receded, and in its place was a dragon being ridden by a man in red armour **(Lv. 6, ATK: 1900)**.

"Mash him!" came John Smith's voice from the audience. Billy glared at him.

Tim smirked. "Vajrayana has the same effect as Dux, so Phalanx will be making his return, and summoning himself again!" The dragon once again appeared as a weapon in the hands of the rider before unfurling and revealing itself. "Once more, I synchro summon!" The animation replayed, this time with six stars expanding into the flash.

"May the warrior merge into his dragonic backdrop! Synchro summon, level eight! Take flight, Dragunity Knight - Barcha!" The new dragon was purple and green, his rider barely visible **(Lv. 8, ATK: 2000)**.

Billy sighed. "Let me guess, he has the same effect?"

Tim clicked his tongue and inhaled. "Perceptive of you. Except that he can equip as many dragon-types as I choose, so I'll equip him with both Vajrayana and Phalanx!" The spirit of the other synchro dragon was absorbed into Barcha as his rider took up the weapon form of Phalanx. "And Barcha gains three-hundred attack points for every Dragunity card equipped to him **(ATK: 2000 - 2600)**!"

"Are you done?"

"Not by a long shot! I'm gonna make this even more of a challenge for you and equip Barcha with Dragunity Divine Lance!" A golden spear came to the dragon's hands **(ATK: 2600 - 2900)**. "The effect of Divine Lance gives my monster attack points equal to its level times a hundred, so eight-hundred points **(ATK: 2900 - 3700)**!"

Billy made a face. "I can do maths, cheers."

Tim shook his head. "Not the point. As well as making Barcha unaffected by trap effects, during my main phase the Lance can equip one Dragunity tuner to him from my deck, like Dragunity Darkspear!" A black spear came to the rider's hand **(ATK: 3700 - 4000)**. "I set two cards, and now I'm done."

"Then I draw," said Billy.

"Quick question, before you get going," said Tim, "why have you gone the entire afternoon with a face like a slapped arse? You are aware the purpose of this is fun, right?"

"A man's gotta eat. Fun doesn't enter into that conversation."

Tim sneered. "What, so this is just a job to you? This is dueling, it's something totally different. It's not like working in a factory, or a shop, or lugging bricks on a building site. It's a passion. A lifestyle. And if you don't have that passion to clash your soul with somebody else's, to connect with them, and then see who comes out on top, then what the fuck are you even doing here?"

Billy's expression turned dark. "You have no idea what it's like to be me."

"You're right," said Tim. "I don't. But that deck you wield like a tool? That's your soul, right there. The soul of a duelist. So show it to me, and maybe then I can understand."

"Fine," growled Billy. "Then understand this. I summon Armageddon Knight!" A warrior appeared wearing a red cloth over his mouth **(Lv.4, ATK: 1400)**. "With his effect, I send my Evening Twilight Knight from the deck to the graveyard. I'll add to that with Foolish Burial, dropping Beginning Knight as well." A spirit of the card flew into the grave that emerged. "I banish both of them to summon Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning!"

Spirits of the two Knights came from his graveyard, being sucked into an interdimensional portal which exploded in a flash of light. The Envoy emerged clad in brilliant armour **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**.

"Even if you banish my Barcha," said Tim, "Envoy won't be able to attack this turn."

"Did I say I was done?" spat Billy. "The effects of Evening Twilight Knight and Beginning Knight: when they're banished, I can add Super Soldier Ritual and Super Soldier to my hand!" The two monsters emerged from their banishment to pull the cards from Billy's deck. "And now I activate Super Soldier Ritual, tributing the Envoy of Chaos and Sacred Soldier Messenger in my hand!"

A man in a golden cloak with winged feet joined Envoy of Chaos on the ritual plinths, eight flames lighting around them as energy pervaded the backdrop of the Ravine. The flames overtook all, coalescing into the shape of the armoured warrior, his glow penetrating the cracks of the rocks around him **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**. "Next comes the effect of Envoy of the Beginning!"

The monster rushed at Barcha, dodging a counterblow and opening up a rift behind him which pulled on the dragon. As hard as he tried, Barcha was incapable of resisting as it was drawn into a different dimension. "Armageddon Knight attacks you directly!" The warrior readied his cutlass as he ran at Tim.

One of Tim's set cards flipped over. "I activate my trap, Call of the Haunted! Rise again, Dragunity Knight - Vajrayana!" A gravestone rose from the ground, the grave in front of it being engulfed in a purple aura as the Knight broke through the soil and took flight again.

Billy grit his teeth. "In that case, Super Soldier will destroy it!" Armageddon Knight ceased his advance as the man in blue armour ran at Vajrayana, leading with his shield and ramming the creature before slashing across its surprised form **(Tim: 4000 - 2900)**. "And don't forget about Super Soldier's effect!" A stream of blue light was reflected from his shield and buffeted the shopkeeper **(Tim: 2900 - 1000)**. "I end my turn."

Tim didn't draw. Instead he said, "one turn, just a few combos, and already I feel enlightened. You've had a shit life, yeah? Feels like everything's against you, right? Well, grow up. Everyone here today has problems; some of them are bigger than yours, some are smaller. The difference between them and you is that they're actually capable of seeing joy in things."

Billy's face went red. "Shut the fuck up and play!"

Tim chuckled. "Alright then. No cards in my hand, whatever can I do? I'll bet it all on this: I draw! I activate the spell card, Pot of Extravagance!" A green pot with a lecherous face came forth, spinning around to reveal the bejeweled golden face on its back. "With this, I can banish either three or six random cards face-down from my extra deck and draw a card for each three."

Tim's extra deck shuffled itself, producing six cards from the top. Tim looked at the cards with consternation; if the wrong one was among them, he would be finished, and his message never heard. But he trusted his deck. He put the cards in his banished zone and drew twice, checking his extra deck and smiling. "With the effect of Dragon Ravine, I discard Dragunity Arma Leyvaten to add Dragunity Legionnaire to my hand!

"Now I'll summon Leyvaten from my grave with the spell card Return of the Dragon Lords!" A stone altar rose from the ground, a dragon statue standing strong as a traveller knelt before it. The statue pulsed before morphing into the form of the orange dragon wielding a weapon that wouldn't look out of place in the hands of a Klingon warrior **(Lv. 8, ATK: 2600)**.

"And guess what his effect is," said Tim. "I equip Dragunity Phalanx to Leyvaten from my graveyard, and then I'll special summon him!" The monster emerged from the graveyard, first to be wielded and then to hover as itself. "One more time, synchro summon! Purge all unbelievers from your heavenly glow! Take flight, level ten! Dragunity Knight - Ascalon!" A golden dragon broke through the pillar of light that had formed **(Lv. 10, ATK: 3300)**.

Billy said, "if this one has an equip effect, I'm done."

Tim laughed. "Done with what? Being a prick? Either way, it has a different ability: by banishing a Dragunity from my grave, I can banish one of your monsters! I'll banish Darkspear to get rid of your Super Soldier!" A phantom version of the black spear came to Ascalon's hand, whereupon the gold-armoured beast threw it at Super Soldier, piercing the warrior's chest and causing him to scream in pain as he was torn apart by extra-dimensional energy.

"Now," said Tim, "Ascalon will finish off your Envoy! Golden Legend!" A winged warrior emerged from behind the dragon, slashing a golden blade across the Envoy too quickly for him to react **(Billy: 4000 - 3700)**. "I end my turn with that."

Billy drew, and he agonised. There was nothing he could do. With the monster on the field and the one in his hand, Tim had victory the next turn even if he set a defensive monster. There was no point in continuing a futile struggle. "I sur-"

"No," said Tim.

Billy's eyes widened. "What do you mean, no?"

"I mean no. I won't accept your surrender."

"So what? You're just gonna force me to carry on?"

"I'm gonna force you to look inside yourself."

Look inside himself? He was getting sick of the man's word games, and of his attempts to bring him to a grand realisation of things that didn't even matter. What mattered was victory, stepping out of the dark, and creating something legitimate for himself. An empty feeling pervaded his gut as he surveyed the field, and he thought it was fear of not realising his goal there. He continued to think that, even though he knew, deep down, that he was wrong. "Whatever. I end my turn."

Tim sighed as he drew. "Dragunity Knight Ascalon, direct attack!" The dragon's companion slashed straight down through Billy, the warm light of the hologram tingling as it passed through him **(Billy: 3700 - 400)**. "I end my turn."

Billy stared, perplexed. "Why didn't you summon Legionnaire? You could've finished it."

Tim shook his head. "I'm not here to win, Billy. I'm here to bring duelists together, however hard-headed and self-deceptive they may be."

Billy looked down, clenching his fist. "But there's nothing I can do."

Tim sighed. "Yes there is. You can trust your soul, and you can draw."

He looked at his cards, and it dawned on him. The entire afternoon, he had been pushing down his own feelings and desires in pursuit of what he thought was necessary. He truly had been walking blind. But instead of defying his own blindness, he had instead defied his heart, and now he was paying the price.

But there was a way out.

He continued staring at his deck, at his soul, and he could almost swear he heard them calling to him, telling him that everything would be okay if he had faith. In himself, and in them. He grinned. "In that case, I'll bet everything, the entirety of my new existence, on this one draw!"

Tim smiled, and Billy drew.

"By banishing the Sacred Soldier Apprentice in my graveyard, I can special summon Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier from my hand!" The gold-robed man's spirit rose from the earth, exploding into energy before reconverging as a Black Luster Soldier clad in brilliant white armour stylised with wings on the shoulders **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**.

"See?" said Tim. "The most important thing is that you enjoy it. Pour your entire heart into that one focus, into having the best duel you can, and the cards are sure to respond."

"I won't apologise," said Billy, still grinning. "But I will say thank you. This way is a lot less stressful. Now, when I summon my Sacred Soldier, I can return one of my banished light or dark-attribute monsters to my graveyard, and I'll choose my Envoy of Chaos!" He returned the card to his graveyard. "And when I do that, I can banish a monster you control! My target is, naturally, Dragunity Knight - Ascalon!"

The white warrior slashed through the air, sending a wave of extra-dimensional light towards the dragon and its warrior, which enveloped the two and dragged them into the void. "Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier, put an end to this! Purifying Chaos Slash!" Billy's monster charged, ramming Tim with its shield before cleaving into him **(Tim: 1000 - 0, winner: Billy)**.

Applause could be heard as the holograms disappeared. Billy looked around himself, puzzled, and saw the audience wearing smiles as they clapped for his duel. He exhaled and turned, watching Harper come face to face with him as she clapped a hand on his shoulder.

She beamed. "I knew it. I knew I was right. You took some getting there, but I suppose I can forgive that. You have the exact kind of duelist's soul I came here looking for."

Billy stared. "Uh… what?"

She chuckled. "Sorry, I guess I should introduce myself for real, shouldn't I?" She threw off the cloak, revealing an athletic woman in her mid-twenties with black hair, freckles and a scar across her left cheek. Her lips were full, her legs long and accentuated by a short, tight skirt worn beneath an even tighter t-shirt.

Billy looked at her in shock. He hadn't expected the crazy in the cloak to be so damn sexy, though given the gasps from the crowd and the sound of people dropping things, he guessed that she was probably well-known. He felt a hint of recognition, but he couldn't place it.

Before he could say anything, Tim sauntered over, a wry look on his face. "Amelia Danforth."

Wait. He knew that name. He'd seen it on posters, and heard it mentioned on the news and in the conversations of people he passed. He had never paid attention.

Tim said, "what's the champion of the Golden League doing at my shitty little shop tournament?"

She patted him on the cheek. "I just said, didn't I?" She turned to Billy with a predatory smirk. "I'm looking for a very particular type of fight."

Billy tried to talk, but words wouldn't come. This entire time, he had been under the watch of a _champion_?

Amelia giggled. "There's no need to be star-struck, I don't bite! Though I might if you ask me to."

Billy stuttered before regaining himself. "Seriously, though? Why the cosplay?"

Tim clapped a hand on his other shoulder. "If you were a worldwide celebrity trying to have fun, would you want everyone to recognise who you are the entire time?"

"Speaking of," said Amelia, pulling her deck from its case, "you've served me well, lovelies, but I don't need to hide anymore." She kissed the cards and replaced them, pulling another deck from a different case and inserting it into her duel disk.

Tim tutted. "That's against the rules, you know."

The crowd booed him. Amelia said, "that deck was Queen Harper's. If I don't have the disguise, then why can't I use my true deck?"

Tim turned to Billy and said, "what do you say?"

Billy thought for a moment. "If I'm gonna duel a champion, then I wanna fight for real. Against her real soul."

"Ding ding," said Tim, "correct answer!"

The audience cheered as the two spread themselves apart, activating their duel disks. Amelia said, "are you ready?"

Billy grinned. "Born that way."

"Well then..."

They both shouted, "duel!"

* * *

**ED1: Shinedown - Better Version**

* * *

**AN: Dun dun dun! Yep, weird cosplay woman is in actual fact the champion of the Golden League! Annoying teenager is annoying, playing the most annoying deck in existence (diabetes!), and then Billy gets some actual character development with the help of Tim, everyone's favourite stoner shopkeeper.**

**Obviously next chapter is gonna be the duel between Billy and Amelia, and unlike the last two, we'll be going back to one-duel chapters. The jumbo double-duel chapter format will return though! **

**A question for you readers, now: Tim and Amelia clearly believe in the Heart of the Cards, and it's almost as if Billy experienced something like that during the chapter, but how much truth do you think there is to it? From what you've seen of the Realityverse so far, where do you think that comes from?**

**And before the obligatory begging for reviews, a few notes on rulings: **

**1\. I talked to a fair few people about how the Super Soldier – Madolche Nights play would work out, and we came to the conclusion that Mewfuille and SS would create separate chains with Mewfuille resolving first because it's mandatory, and therefore Nights would be viable. It was pointed out that SS is mandatory too and both effects activate when Mewfuille hits the graveyard but I'm not too clued up on simultaneous activation so if it's wrong, I'm claiming artistic license xD**

**2\. I claim artistic license on Envoy of the Evening Twilight too. The version in this story is slightly different to the TCG one because, quite frankly, its TCG effect is crap. There's a reason no-one runs it. It'll be included in the OG cards section of this AN.**

**Finally, if you have any thoughts about this chapter or the story as a whole, even if it's just one word, please drop a review. It means so much to us. If you enjoyed this, remember to check out my other story, Yu-Gi-Oh! Reality's Curtain and ThatLoneAvenger's Yu-Gi-Oh! Mark of Death, both set in the same universe as this one. As always, a massive thank youto ThatLoneAvenger for helping with the editing! I'll cut this off now before the AN ends up longer than the chapter.**

**Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Evening Twilight  
DARK/Warrior/Effect  
Level 8  
ATK: 3000 DEF: 2500  
Cannot be normal summoned/set. Must be special summoned (from your hand) by banishing all LIGHT or all DARK monsters from your GY, while you have an equal number of each in your GY, and cannot be special summoned by other ways. While face-up on the field, this card is also LIGHT-attribute. When this card is special summoned: you can activate the appropriate effect, based on the attribute of the monster(s) banished for the special summon.**

**\- LIGHT: Banish 1 monster your opponent controls**

**\- DARK: Banish 1 random card from your opponent's hand, face-down, until you're opponent's next end phase.**

**Entropic Decay  
Counter Trap  
When your opponent activates the effect of a monster, during a turn when a card(s) was banished from their GY: target that monster; negate that target's effect, and if you do: inflict damage to your opponent equal to the target's original ATK.**


	4. The Queen and the Gutter Rat

**OP1: Dragonforce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**4: The Queen and the Gutter Rat**

"Duel!"

**Billy: 4000  
****Amelia: 4000**

"You can go first," said Amelia, smirking. "You'll need every handicap you can get."

"And I thought I was cocky." Billy tried to steady the hand which held his cards, every one of his nerves on edge. His anticipation sent energy coursing through him; he had only just returned to the game, only just discovered the soul at its heart, and already he was facing down one of the best. Because she had engineered it.

She smiled. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet?"

"Sorry," he said. "Lost in thought. I set a monster and a backrow and end my turn."

Amelia started as the audience made confused noises. She said, "Is that really all?"

Billy chuckled. "Surely someone who talks like you would know it's best not to rush the foreplay?"

"Ha!" she said. "Realisation hasn't blunted your tongue, I see. I draw! I'll begin by activating the spell card, System Reboot!" A big red button appeared in front of her, depressing as she removed three cards from her hand. "By discarding any number of cards from my hand, I can draw an equal number from my deck!

"And now, I'll summon System Manipulator Dev!" A cubic robot materialised, shining silver as a laser on its wrist wrote code into the air **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1200)**. "And when he's summoned, I can add a System spell or trap to my hand, so I'll choose System Boot Failure!" She showed him the card and added it to her hand.

On the sidelines, Tim whistled. "She's already pulling him into her flow…"

Billy wished he had paid more attention to Pro Dueling.

"With that done," Amelia said, pointing at Billy's defending monster, "Dev will attack your set monster!" The machine aimed its laser at Billy's card, writing a string of characters on top of it. The card flipped to reveal a young warrior with red hair wearing blue armour **(Lv. 4, DEF: 2000) (Amelia: 4000 - 3200)**.

Billy raised an eyebrow. "That was a bit of a stupid move for the queen of dueling to make, d'you not think?"

She winked. "You don't question your queen, you just bow down! I activate a trap card from my graveyard!"

"You're doing what now?" said Billy.

Tim sighed. "And so it begins…"

Grinning, Amelia removed the card from her grave and showed it off. "System Hierarchy! By banishing this from my grave, I tribute my monster which battled yours and didn't destroy it to destroy all monsters with an equal or lower level! Since Dev is level four, that means that your level four Beginning Knight becomes prey!"

The crowd made impressed noises as Dev drew a pyramid diagram with his laser, trapping himself and the warrior opposite him. An explosion could be heard from within as the diagram crumbled and Dev stepped out, none the worse for wear.

"I set one card and end my turn," said Amelia.

"During your end phase," said Billy, "I activate my trap card: Beginning of Heaven and Earth!"

She smirked. "I chain my quick-play spell card, System Boot Failure! This'll negate the activation of your card and destroy it!"

Billy sighed as the trap shattered. "You planned for that."

"Of course," she said. "How do you think I became champion? Every part of this duel is under my control; including you."

Chuckling, he drew his card. He laughed, but he knew that she was probably telling the truth, given how perfectly she had predicted him. He wasn't one to dance on strings, however. "I summon Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight!" A knight dual-wielding lances rode onto the field atop a horned horse **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2300)**.

Amelia put a hand to her mouth in mock surprise. "Don't you need to tribute monsters to summon him?"

"Is this what it's like talking to me?" said Billy. "I think I get Tim's point now."

Tim turned to the audience. "Now, I'm not a commentator, but if I was, I'd feel compelled to point out that Arisen Gaia can be summoned without tribute if your opponent controls more monsters than you do." He took a hit from his pipe. "For anything else, you all know how to use Google."

"I don't!" came one voice which Tim ignored, turning back to the duel.

Billy pointed at the small robot. "Arisen Gaia, destroy System Manipulator Dev with Awakened Spiral Lance!" The warrior set his horse to gallop, charging at Amelia's monster.

"I activate my trap!" said Amelia. "Defense Algorithm!" Dev was encased in a skin of code which deflected both lances as they clashed into it. "When I activate this, you can't destroy my monster in battle this turn!"

"But you still take the damage!" The shockwave from the impact of the lances bypassed the impervious monster, buffeting Amelia **(Amelia: 3200 - 2100)**.

"Aw." She pouted. "Don't you know you're supposed to be careful with girls?"

Billy stared in bemusement. "Yeah, 'cause you're clearly _such_ a delicate flower. I set a card and end my turn."

She gasped as she drew. "How dare you! I'll have you know I'm the picture of femininity."

He looked her up and down, from the long, bare legs to the t-shirt threatening to burst at the seams. "I don't think you meant that the way I'm gonna take it."

"What are you implying, boyo?"

"Must be cold."

She gave a wry smile. "Not at all. And not as cold as it's about to get for you! I summon System Manipulator Graf to the field!" Another robot was built from nothing, this one with an orange sheen and carrying an oversized screen displaying several charts **(Lv. 4, ATK: 800)**.

"I'm guessing there's a reason your monsters all seem so weak," said Billy.

"How perceptive," replied Amelia. "Can't have them all so overpowered it takes the challenge away. For instance, the effect of Graf allows me to special summon a level four or lower System monster from my graveyard!"

Several of the audience made confused noises, and Tim sighed. Billy looked at the field, remembering her Reboot spell, and concluded that the champion of the Golden League was a tricky bugger. She seemed impossibly strong. Still, he thought, he wouldn't lose here. He could feel it in the pounding of his pulse, in the heat of his veins: this was the most alive he'd been in a decade, and he wouldn't see that feeling cut short.

Amelia said, "I resurrect my System Administrator Des!" A purple robot appeared, making shapes in the air with a large pen **(Lv. 4, ATK: 600)**.

Billy gulped. He had enough recent experience to know what three level fours meant, and worse if one was a tuner, or she yet had other cards to throw into this combo. He could feel it boiling. "In the immortal words of Pat Benatar, hit me with your best shot!"

"Oh, with pleasure," she said. "I tune the level four System Manipulator Dev with Graf!" The orange robot leapt into the air, morphing into four green rings as its compatriot jumped into them, becoming four stars before exploding in a pillar of light. "Understand and manipulate the system with this world as your pawn! Synchro summon, level eight!" As the light receded, a warrior emerged in sleek silver armour with wicked blades attached to both wrists. "Take control, System Administrator Executor **(Lv. 8, ATK: 2600)**!

Billy marvelled at the new monster, recognising it as the same statue he had been enamoured by when he entered the shop. It was even more striking in person, sharp edges and glinting steel catching his eyes, and he couldn't help but whistle. It was a hell of a monster. "Damn," he said. "Must be a bad-ass to have statues of it in card shops."

"Not as bad-ass as me, Billy, and I'm nowhere near done!" She grinned, sharp incisors glinting with a promise of pain. "When I successfully synchro summon a monster while I have Des on the field, I can special summon one of the monsters used for that summon!" Des drew a portal in the air through which Dev stepped, writing code with his laser. "I overlay my level four System Manipulators Dev and Des!"

As a galaxy appeared in the sky and sucked the two monsters in, converting them to energy, Tim grinned and pulled a joint from his pocket. "Damn, this is getting good."

The crowd roared its assent, though Billy gave Tim a sideward glance as he lit his joint. "Should the referee here really be more stoned than gays in the bible?"

"You're just jealous!" shouted a voice in the crowd.

"Pay attention, boy!" Amelia's hard tone snapped his focus back to the duel. "That's better. Now, understand and manipulate the system to rip it apart and rebuild!" The portal shone as the two monsters energised it, a quadruped in black armour with spikes on the chest forming within it and descending to the field, two stars orbiting it. "Xyz summon, rank four! Take control, System Administrator Vorbis **(Rk. 4, ATK: 2300)**!"

Billy made a face. "Have you ever noticed? When you do those chants and you go 'whatever summon, level whatever', does that not sound disjointed to you?"

Amelia shrugged. "I mean, we took the game from Japan, why not take their chant structure too?"

Tim said, "it's a succinct way of conveying information to the audience."

Billy said, "they probably can't even understand 'cause they're all high off your fumes."

"Oh, is that why you're so distracted?" Amelia giggled dangerously. "I remove an overlay unit from Vorbis to activate her effect!"

Billy did a double-take. "That's a 'she'? How do you tell the gender of these things?"

"Oh, I haven't a clue," said Amelia as the black-armoured monster absorbed one of the stars orbiting her, the spikes on her chest extending and charging electricity. "I just decided. And her effect stops you from activating any spell or trap cards until the end phase!" The electricity coursed from the monster to Billy's spell and trap zones, covering them with sparks.

"I'm trying to think of a better word than ball-ache to describe this situation," said Billy.

She looked at him through lidded eyes. "Aw, down boy."

He sighed. "Does your mind go there every time, or is it just for special occasions?"

She winked. "Depends how much time they spend staring. Now, Executor attacks Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight! Drive Deletion!" The warrior stepped and appeared behind the horseman in a flash, stabbing through his chest with one of its blades **(Billy: 4000 - 3700)**. "And Vorbis will attack you directly!" Billy was assaulted by a surge of electricity **(Billy: 3700 - 1400)**. "I set three cards and end my turn."

"I draw!" He was dreaming. The day before, he had been scrounging the streets for marks, and yet here he was, his nerves tingling as he bantered with the best duelist in the world. And she seemed to like him, which was strange; people didn't like Billy, they tolerated him much the same way one tolerates having to clean a toilet. Unpleasant, but ultimately necessary. He imagined himself and Amelia standing across from each other again, but this time in an arena surrounded by thousands instead of a car park witnessed by a few people leaning so far forward they were in serious danger of falling out of their chairs.

"Oi!" said Amelia. "Daydream later, is this reality not good enough for you?"

Billy chuckled. "Sorry. I was enjoying myself so much my mind got carried away. Do you know what interesting thing I noticed while I was in my head?"

She smirked. "I'm fifty-fifty on whether or not I want to know."

"Seriously, Billy," said Tim, "there's kids here. Keep it clean."

He sputtered. "Not everybody's brain is as filthy as the queen of dirty minds' over there! What I noticed was that the number of light and dark monsters in my graveyard is the same!" He took a card from his hand. "Since that's the case, I can banish every light monster in there, which is my Beginning Knight, to summon this guy!"

As a spectral Beginning Knight took to the field and began dissipating, Amelia raised an eyebrow. "This guy?"

"You might recognise him," said Billy as the atoms of the blue-armoured child rearranged themselves to form a warrior in black-and-white armour. "Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Evening Twilight **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**!"

Amelia smirked again. "Now we're cooking on gas! Come at me, boy."

Billy ignored the obvious quip; between her, Tim, and the audience he'd probably be eviscerated. "The effect of Beginning Knight activates when he's banished from the graveyard: I can add one ritual spell from my deck to my hand!"

Tim yawned. "Oh, _that's _original."

Billy showed Amelia Super Soldier Ritual before adding it to his hand. "And the effect of Evening Twilight when he banishes light monsters for his summon allows me to banish one of your monsters! Go, Twilight Dimension!" Black-and-white energy charged at the tip of the warrior's blade, shooting towards and engulfing Amelia's black-armoured quadruped, erasing it from existence.

"Good instinct," Tim said to himself. "Even without knowing, he's avoided activating Executor's effect."

Amelia gasped. "Oh no… you'll pay for that, you know that, right?"

Grinning, Billy placed another card into his duel disk. "That's if you survive this turn! I now activate my Super Soldier Ritual, offering the Super Soldier Soul in my hand and the Arisen Gaia in my graveyard as tribute!"

"You're using the monster in your graveyard?" said Amelia.

"Yep," said Billy. "When I ritual summon a Black Luster Soldier monster, I can banish Arisen Gaia from my graveyard as one of the required monsters!"

The horseman and the armour rose up on plinths, the lighting of eight candles describing a circle around them as the flames intensified with their energy, imploding to release a bright light. "Soldier of chaos," said Billy, "reveal thy superhuman form through power of sacrifice!"

Tim's mouth was hanging open. "Wasn't expecting _that_…"

Billy waved an arm at the field as his warrior stepped forth, an aura of power penetrating the field from him. "Ritual summon, level eight! The soldier of universal law: Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**!"

Amelia waved her hand in beckoning. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier, attack System Administrator Executor! Super Sabre Strike!" The warrior's sword glowed with pale-blue energy as he charged at Executor, readying his shield. The mechanical man struck at him with wrist blades, but they were caught on the shield as the glowing sword ran him through, the energy splashing over Amelia **(Amelia: 2100 - 1700)**.

She clapped. "Impressive."

"That's not all," said Billy, "since Super Soldier's effect now activates, inflicting your monster's attack points to you as damage! This is the end, _your majesty!_" Super Soldier raised his shield, drawing a surge of energy to it almost magnetically, reflecting it at greater speed towards Billy's opponent.

"Aw," she said. "That's cute." One of her set cards flipped over. "I activate a quick-play spell card, System Confusion!" A screen appeared and absorbed the blast, scrambled code plastering across it. "If I would take damage, I can halve it and inflict the same amount to you!"

Billy blinked as the screen sparked and exploded, covering the two in a shower of electricity **(Amelia: 1700 - 400) (Billy: 1400 - 100)**. He said, "but this will finish you! Envoy of the Evening Twilight, attack directly! Twilight Blade!" The Envoy rushed at her, leading with his shield.

"Oh, honey." Her incisors glinted sharply as she grinned. "We've barely gotten started! I activate my trap, Boolean Panic!" The skeleton of an algorithmic diagram materialised, the nodes lighting up one by one. "When you attack me directly, I can summon a System Manipulator to take the blow, so I'll bring out Mappa in defence mode!" The nodes of the diagram flashed and began morphing, giving rise to a green robot with smooth edges, wielding a giant map board like a shield **(Lv. 3, DEF: 600)**.

"Destroy it!" said Billy, pointing his Envoy at the newly-summoned monster. His shield clashed with the board, cracking and splintering it as the warrior cleaved the machine in two. He clicked his tongue. "I end my turn."

Looking down, she smiled. "Really, _peasant_? I thought this was the end? Don't tell me: you threw everything you had at me, and it still wasn't enough? Draw! I summon System Manipulator Zipp!" A zipper with arms and legs burst from the ground **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1100)**. "And Zipp's effect lets me summon a System tuner, so I'll bring back Mappa!" Zipp opened up the zipper comprising his body, through which the board-wielding robot stepped. "Now I'll tune the level four Zipp with the level three Mappa!"

The small machine leaped into the air, throwing its board as it became three green rings, into which the zipper jumped and became four glowing stars. "Understand and manipulate the system to become its advocate!" A pillar of light overtook the stars and rings, expanding before it faded. "Synchro summon, level seven! Take control, System Administrator Gadget!" Flexing its skinny arms, the monster's golden armour shone as it produced a futuristic rifle covered in technology **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2000)**.

"And what brilliant plan do you have to get around the fact that your monster is a thousand attack points short?" said Billy.

She smirked. "This. When Gadget is successfully summoned, it can destroy one monster you control!" The monster pressed some buttons on its rifle's accessories, a shot of golden energy charging in the barrel. "I choose Envoy of the Evening Twilight!" The shot fired, carving a hole through the multicoloured warrior.

Her smile widened. "And now I'll activate the Darwin System trap card from my graveyard! By banishing it when your monster is destroyed, I can double my monster's attack points until the end of the turn!" The spirit of an old man with a beard entered the armoured monster **(ATK: 2000 - 4000)**.

Billy looked to his remaining face-down, nerves jangling.

"Show me what you got, Billy," she said. "System Administrator Gadget attacks Super Soldier!" The monster charged its rifle, firing multiple shots of plasma at the armoured warrior.

Billy's set card flipped over. "I activate my trap card: Chaos Burst! When you attack, by tributing my monster, I can destroy your attacking monster and inflict a thousand points of damage to you!" Super Soldier raised his shield and stabbed the ground, seeming to melt into it as fissures opened up. The uneven footing unbalanced Gadget as the floor exploded, a shard of rock reflecting the rifle blasts at the monster, which exploded.

As the explosion's shockwave closed in on Amelia, she gave a lopsided smile. "Nice move. But not nice enough! I reveal my own trap card, System BSOD!" A computer screen materialised, overtaken by a blue background. It absorbed the shockwave and began shaking. "When I would take effect damage, you take it instead!"

Billy started. "I swear that's the same as the card you pulled last turn."

She flipped her hair. "Do you have any idea how many people think that cheap burn effects will work against me? Besides, this card is exclusively for effect damage, whilst Confusion works on all damage, and I don't take any damage with this one. Know what that means?"

Billy sighed, but his smile didn't drop as the computer screen's shaking reached its zenith and it shot a pillar of blue light at him. "I lose." The light overtook him, and he fell to his knees **(Billy: 100 - 0, winner: Amelia)**.

Raucous applause invaded his ears as the holograms faded, a few cheers and whistles drawing odd looks from passing pedestrians, and he looked up to see Amelia approaching him. He exhaled. He might have lost, but he'd never experienced anything more exhilarating.

She sidled up in front of him, her mouth tilted downwards. "Well, that was disappointing."

His cheeks flushed, and he grit his teeth. "Well, sorry I couldn't be what you wanted."

She laughed, high and clear and mocking, the same as she had when they first met, and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm kidding, you idiot. You don't honestly think I expected you to match me on your first day?"

"Well…"

She laughed again. "Too cute!" She squatted down to face him. "So how's your vision? Has it cleared up yet?"

"Yeah," he said. "I see a mountain in front of me, its peak breaking the clouds. And there's you at the top, looking down on me with that smug little smirk of yours."

"Why not climb up and meet me?"

He snorted. "And how do you expect me to do that?"

"Why not take the licensing exam?"

"Somehow, I don't think one of the world's biggest corporations would be too keen on an ex-con in their Dueling Leagues."

She leaned in and whispered into his ear, "do you wanna compare records? I bet mine's worse." He stared at her, and she put a finger to her lips.

He said, "really?"

"Yeah. And look at me now, top of the world."

"So what do I do?"

She stood and half-turned away. "Normally, you'd have to go through an extensive screening process just to take the exam. But, with my recommendation, you can skip that."

"You'd do that? After everything you've already done for me?" He looked at his deck with affection.

"Of course. I want to see you climb all the way up to my level, all so I can crush you back into the dirt in front of millions of people."

A bead of sweat fell down the back of his head. "Um… alright then. Wait for me; I'll catch up soon enough."

She began walking away. "I'm counting on it. Now, I'd tell you to stand up but you're _very _ attractive down on your knees."

He flushed and shot to his feet while she roared with laughter: he'd forgotten about that. Tim turned to her and said, "um, Miss Danforth? Your prizes?"

She waved him away. "Do I look like I need them? Give it all to the guy with the angry stomach." She stopped her walk, happily chatting with members of the audience and signing autographs.

Billy turned to Tim, and his stomach growled. "Well, you heard her."

* * *

He crossed the lot and bought a double Whopper with bacon, and a large fries, and it was demolished by the time he returned to the shop and entered to find it empty apart from Tim, and a couple of people browsing through the comic book section.

He approached the counter and the blonde leaning his cheek on his hand and said, "how much for the duel disk I was using?"

Tim's eyes bugged out. "Seriously? You want _that one_? It doesn't even let you read your opponent's cards, for Christ's sake."

Billy stared at him. "They can do that?"

"How do you think Amelia knew not to destroy Super Soldier with Gadget's effect, ESP?"

"I just assumed she was clued up."

"And Sally, clicking away at the screen and then telling you how cool Entropic Decay is?"

"Alright, fine, I'm an idiot. Now talk price to me."

"Basic model, brand new? About seven hundred."

Billy exhaled sharply. "I've seen cars cheaper than that!"

"Given the conversation I just heard you have, I'd assume they were stolen."

Billy ignored him. "That's current generation, right? Take me back a couple, earlier models with the screens."

"About four."

"Hundred?"

"No, pence." *****

"What about second-hand?"

"About two-fifty."

Billy sputtered. "Come on man, you're killing me here!"

Tim threw up his hands and sighed. "Well, how much have you got?"

"Two-hundred minus what I just ate."

Exhaling, Tim pulled a duel disk from beneath the counter. It was black with white spirals, and aside from a few scratches was in perfect condition. "Weren't joking about needing to eat, were you? Alright then, we'll make a deal: once you're pro, you'll make money for every duel you're in, so I'll open you up a tab." Billy reached for the machine, but Tim clamped a hand on it. "No piss-taking! I want my money, you hear me? Two-fifty."

Billy gave a mock salute. "Understood." Tim let go, and Billy picked up the disk, admiring the design.

"Now," said Tim, "pick a box."

He looked up to see Tim beckoning to the pack display behind the counter: it was full of boxes, open and closed, old sets he remembered and newer ones he didn't. "What?"

Tim sighed again. "She told me to give you the prizes, so pick a box."

"Two-hundred quid and a box? How are you not making a loss on this?"

"I _am _making a loss; the money's not important in things like these."

He chose the one that sounded best. "Chaos Rebirth, then."

Tim threw the box at him, the edge catching his forehead.

Billy licked his teeth. "Is that any way to treat a customer?"

"To be a customer, one has to actually _buy _something, with real money instead of hopes and dreams."

Billy rolled his eyes and stepped away, picking up his box as he did so. "Well if that's how I'll be treated, I guess I won't come back!"

"You bloody better!"

"Expect a poor review on TripAdvisor." Billy made to leave, but spun on his heel and pointed at Tim. "Quick query."

"As long as you leave afterwards."

He leaned over the counter, dropping his voice. "Don't suppose you can sort us out a twenty bag?"

Tim sighed.

* * *

**AN: BILLY ACTUALLY DID A CHANT! But yeah, I think we all knew how that one was gonna turn out… even if she wasn't the Golden League champion and one of the world's top duelists, it wouldn't be one of my stories without the protagonist getting his ass kicked early on, right?**

**Amelia happened, finally, and I love her. She's a joy to write, and she really seems to enjoy fucking with our Billy, doesn't she? She is a hell of a badass though, as befitting a champion. Legends even say that Danny Stark from Mark of Death has a shrine dedicated to her worship.**

**Speaking of Mark of Death, go read it! It's on my favourites, and though currently unrelated to this story they do take place in the same universe. And also another thank you to ThatLoneAvenger, this story's editor and co-writer of the Realityverse; this story wouldn't be nearly as good without him. **

**Next time we get to see Billy go take an exam, but what other wondrous events might unfold? What petty crime or civil offence will our protagonist commit next? If you have any answers, any questions, any theories, any criticisms, anything to say AT ALL, please drop a review. It's the only way for us to improve.**

***Pence is the smallest denomination of British currency, usually stylised as 'p'. 100p is equal to £1**

**System Manipulator Dev  
LIGHT/Machine/Effect  
****Level 4  
ATK: 1200 DEF: 700  
****When this card is normal/special summoned: add 1 'System' spell/trap card from your deck to your hand.**

**System Manipulator Graf  
LIGHT/Machine/Tuner/Effect  
****Level 4  
****ATK: 800 DEF: 900  
****When this card is normal/special summoned: you can special summon 1 level 4 or lower 'System' monster from your GY.**

**System Manipulator Des  
****LIGHT/Machine/Effect  
****Level 4  
ATK: 600 DEF: 1000  
****When you successfully Synchro summon a 'System Administrator' monster while this card is face-up on the field: you can target 1 of the Synchro material monsters in your GY; special summon that target, but destroy it during the end phase.**

**System Manipulator Mappa  
****LIGHT/Machine/Tuner/Effect  
****Level 3  
****ATK: 300 DEF: 600  
****You can discard this card from your hand; return 1 of your banished spell/trap cards to the GY (this is a quick effect).**

**System Manipulator Zipp  
****LIGHT/Machine/Effect  
****Level 4  
****ATK: 1100 DEF: 400  
****When this card is normal/special summoned: activate one of the following effects:**

** \- Add 1 level 4 or lower 'System' monster from your deck to your hand**

** \- Target 1 'System' tuner monster in your GY; special summon that target with its effects negated**

**System Administrator Executor  
LIGHT/Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
****Level 8  
****ATK: 2600 DEF: 2500  
****1 'System' tuner monster + 1+ non-tuner monsters  
****Cannot be targeted by your opponent's card effects. When a 'System' card you control is sent to the GY by battle or your opponent's card effect: destroy 1 card your opponent controls, and if you do: you can add 1 of your banished 'System' spell/trap cards to your hand.**

**System Administrator Vorbis  
****LIGHT/Beast-Warrior/Xyz/Effect  
****Rank 4  
****ATK: 2300 DEF: 1900  
****2 Level 4 'System' monsters  
****During your main phase: you can detach 1 Xyz material from this card; your opponent cannot activate the effects of spell/trap cards until the end phase.**

**System Administrator Gadget  
LIGHT/Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
Level 7  
ATK: 2000 DEF: 2000  
****1 tuner monster + 1+ non-tuner 'System' monsters  
****When this card is Synchro summoned: destroy 1 card your opponent controls. If this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the GY: you can tribute 1 'System' monster you control; special summon this card.**

**System Reboot  
****Normal Spell  
****Discard any number of cards from your hand; draw the same amount of cards from your deck.**

**System Hierarchy  
Normal Trap  
****If this card is in your GY and your monster battles your opponent's monster and your opponent's monster is not destroyed: banish this card and target your monster on the field or in the GY; destroy all monsters your opponent controls with level equal to or lower than the target's.**

**System Boot Failure  
Quick-play Spell  
When your opponent activates a spell/trap card or a monster effect: negate the activation, and if you do: destroy it.**

**Defense Algorithm  
Normal Trap  
Target 1 'System' monster you control: it cannot be destroyed by battle this turn. If this card is in your GY and your opponent declares a direct attack: you can banish this card; negate the attack.**

**System Confusion  
Quick-play Spell  
****When you would take damage by battle or your opponent's card effect: you take half of that damage, and inflict the same amount of damage to your opponent.**

**Boolean Panic  
****Normal Trap  
When your opponent declares a direct attack: special summon 1 level 4 or lower Machine-type monster from your hand.**

**System BSOD  
****Counter Trap  
****If you would take damage from a card effect: negate that damage, and if you do: inflict the same amount of damage to your opponent. During your main phase, if this card is in your GY: you can banish this card; negate the effects of all face-up cards your opponent controls, until the end phase.**


	5. Tests Are Supposed to be Challenging

**OP1: Dragonforce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**5: Tests Are Supposed To Be Challenging**

Whatever Billy was hearing, it didn't qualify as music.

He was sitting on the top deck of a bus, old and rickety with a suspension that felt like it would fall off at every bump. He was near the front, as far from the youths at the back as he could be, though that didn't stop him from having to listen to some guy rap about selling crack and merking tracks.

The loose smattering of people aboard were either wearing headphones or looking vaguely irritated, but nobody did anything about it. Classic English passivity. He'd have rather listened to a cat being neutered, but he tried to tune out the noise and think about the upcoming licensing exam.

His prize box had yielded fruits, but whether they were ripe or not remained to be seen. He hadn't had the opportunity to test his updated deck being that his circle of acquaintances consisted mainly of people who'd rather wring his neck than duel him, and a gap of only two days between the Saturday tournament and the exam hadn't afforded him much time anyway.

But his instincts had told him which cards he should add and which should be replaced, almost as if they had been speaking to him. He had belatedly realised then that Amelia's crap had been a metaphor, and he thought her less insane as a result. Only slightly, though. The costume freak still escaped his understanding.

He kept her in his mind as he leaned his head back on the railing, a lone figure stood at the top of an impossibly tall mountain. She had said that her record was worse than his, but he imagined that if that was true, it was only because he was good at not getting caught. Sighing, he reached his hand around the back of his seat and pressed the bell, the smell of stale air pervading his nostrils as he stood up and tried to avoid touching grimy windows which reminded him of warehouses and tenements where he had used to do business. He tried not to dwell on the memories of the people he had hurt as he descended the stairs, but he couldn't. The myopia of the person he used to be drove him forward.

He got off the bus, muttering a thanks to the driver, and clicked his tongue as he realised that the music was following him. He really needed to invest in a pair of headphones. He set off at a brisk pace, passing a few shops and cafes and closed takeaways as he did so, a vague hubbub ahead growing as he approached Barking market.

There was no road, instead just a street paved with cobblestones, and the air smelled acrid, of petrol and pollution with an underlying tone of massed humanity. Most of the buildings looked well-kept, all of them commercial, and he could begin to smell candies and freshly roasted meat and baked goods as he continued his walk, though that was still overpowered by the general stench of Barking.

"Oi, bruv!" said a voice behind him, the pitch cracked with the tone of puberty. "Is that your noncing coat or what?" *****

He turned around, giving a queer eye to the three kids behind him. "Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Easter holidays, innit," said one, a lanky boy with dark skin and a shaved head.

"Why you wanna know?" said another, a chubby blonde girl. "So you can come by at break time and kidnap some kiddies?" Her friends laughed.

Billy walked up to the third, a white kid who looked about twelve with a cap pointing sideways. He was holding a brand new Samsung Galaxy S14, the speakers of which were blaring a tinny approximation of what he supposed passed for music these days. Without a word, he snatched the phone from the kid's hand, threw it to the ground and stomped on it until the lyrical assault stopped.

They all glared at him, incensed. The lanky boy, the one Billy assumed was the ringleader, said, "The fuck you think you doin' bruv?! You looking to get merked?"

Billy snorted.

The girl strode up and tried to slap him, but he easily caught her arm and twisted her around, shoving her off back towards her friends. The boy whose phone he had smashed said, "that was nine-hundred quid that, you better pay up!"

Billy snorted again. Even if he'd had nine hundred to spare, there was no way it would ever go to a bunch of chavs. He may have partaken in his fair share of shakedowns, beatings and robberies, but he'd never been so hammer-fisted as to start harassing people on the street.

Becoming better didn't mean that he had to roll over.

He said, "let that be a lesson to you. Give shit to the wrong people, shit gets taken from ya."

The leader stepped forward and pulled a knife from his pocket. It was small but sharp, its silver sheen reflecting Billy's bemused expression. The kid said, "fork over the dough or I will stab you up, you little pussyhole!"

Billy shook his head and started walking towards him. Predictably, the kid froze. It was an elementary trick; no-one with a weapon expects anyone to be crazy enough to walk towards the weapon, but Billy could handle himself and his luck had held recently. The kid slashed, but Billy swayed back, catching his wrist and squeezing the pressure point between thumb and forefinger. The kid dropped the knife, glaring at Billy as he leaped away.

"When you've run with the people I ran with," said Billy, "you learn a few things. Like not to fear amateurs with blades, and not to pull out deadly weapons on a busy market street in broad daylight."

All three of them adopted the look of deer in headlights as a uniformed police officer strode over, being pointed to the incident by a concerned member of the public. He was of average height, with a short beard and neatly combed hair. The kids sped off like F1 cars, around a corner and out of sight before the officer even got to Billy. He had to fight not to join them in running; it was hard to remember that he had nothing to fear from police right now, being that he was in the right for once.

The copper said, "I heard there's some trouble."

Billy waved it off. "Bunch of children playing gangster. Nothing I couldn't handle."

"One might argue that you 'handling it' constituted assault."

"Last time I checked, I'm allowed to defend myself from assault with reasonable force. What was unreasonable about that?"

The copper narrowed his eyes. "You seem to be quite familiar."

"I like to study law in my spare time."

"Any reason why?"

"Thought it best to familiarise myself, y'know, just in case."

"In case of what?"

"Do you need anything else, mate? Just I've got places to be, that's all."

The copper raised an eyebrow, but left it and said, "no, but can I ask you your name? Just in case anything develops with those troublemakers."

"Rudy Wade," said Billy, turning to walk away. He heard the crackle of the copper's radio as he turned in the other direction, and he let out the breath he'd been holding.

* * *

The Platinum Corporation's headquarters was like a maze.

It was a skyscraper in the centre of the City, towering over London's business district with an imposing authority. It was crisp and sleek both inside and out, white marble floors blending in to papered walls plastered with screens showing the company's latest initiatives and targets. The modern feel gave rise to an air of curt professionalism that one could almost touch, one which was added to by the sounds of muted conversation and ringing phones and clacking keyboards, the superficial hush betraying steady determination.

Amelia liked it.

Though it was a maze, there was a structure to it, and even a chaotic system was easy for her to understand. She was there rarely, but it didn't matter: her mind was built for things like that.

She stepped out of a lift on the forty-first floor, straightening her leather jacket as the doors whirred quietly closed again. She heard the mechanism taking it further up, and stepped onwards. Floor forty-one was exclusively for the administration of the World Dueling Leagues, staff working hard to find locations for Golden, Silver and Bronze League events, the marketers finding new ways of advertising them. The geeks on this floor crunched numbers and analysed performances to determine points totals; the ones through the rest of the building pitched ideas for new technology.

It was also a haven for competitors, any of the top one-hundred able to come and go as they pleased. And thus, whilst the rest of the building tended to smell of dry-cleaned suits and expensive perfumes, this floor's odour was that of pressed cardboard and aerosol deodorant. And lemons. Always lemons.

She reached the end of the hallway, turning at a window which stretched from floor to ceiling and covered the entire wall. She paid no heed to the panoramic vista of the city or the man walking into an executive's office as she passed, instead carrying on and turning back towards the building's centre down another corridor. This one was narrow and stunk of sweat, doors leading to lounges and even a card shop standing ajar. She reached the end of the dead-end corridor, opening a double door into a windowless room with laminate flooring and blazing LEDs in the two-storey high ceiling.

The room was massive, taking up a good sixteen-hundred square metres. The floor was covered in outlines of duel fields, intended to allow competitors a private place to train and spar with each other.

She hated the idea. Why would she want to show off her new strategies to her rivals?

Only one of the fields was occupied, by a mountain of a duelist with long hair and a beard down to his chest, braided in a viking style. Opposite him was a man in his early thirties in glasses, wearing a crisp suit and shoes shinier than a mirror.

"Is still not the level of our tag in Japan," said the bearded man. "We must be ready for next time we face those Pro Circuit boys. I do not wish to lose again." His accent was Norwegian, or maybe Swedish. She had never been clear on that.

Sighing, the man in the suit deactivated his duel disk and returned his deck to its case. "Look, Ragnar, there is no guarantee we'll be facing those two again, and besides, how are we supposed to improve as a tag team without practicing _as_ a tag team? You can't expect synergy to come from constantly fighting each other."

"Is about understanding," said Ragnar.

Amelia leaned back on the wood-panelled wall. "I could take you both on, if you like?"

Ragnar turned and beamed at her. "Amelia! You have finally come to your senses to train with us, no?"

She smiled. "I don't need to duel you every day to be able to crush you on the big stage."

"But you are scared my learning more will give me advantage, no?"

The man in the suit went silent and stormed out of the room, looking very much as if he wanted a cross to ward himself as he walked past her. His name was Dylan McBride, and he hated her. She couldn't blame him. Sighing, she said, "still sore about the loss, then?"

Ragnar threw a towel over his broad shoulders, pectorals bulging against his black muscle shirt. "Not as sore as you were, or the people who were killed. It seems your face heal nice, at least."

She thumbed the scar on her cheek, still fresh. "Yeah. The wounds that heal aren't really much bother."

"But too many of those that do not," said Ragnar, leaning on the wall next to her. "Is why I am here. And, I suspect, is similar reason for you. I know this look in your eyes, blood sister, is the look you have when you are scheming something."

She frowned. "Something stinks, Ragnar."

He smelled his armpits. "Yes, I think probably I should take shower."

She chuckled. "Not you, although I don't disagree."

He smiled. "I guessed. But I have known for a long time that if you do not wish me to know something, I will not know it and still you will move me across your board without me realising."

She smirked. "Don't worry. I don't have any plans for you. Yet."

He guffawed, his infectious humour easing tension she hadn't known she'd been carrying. "Is a shame. Your games are always interesting."

"Tell that to Dylan."

"Broken trust is hard to mend, but new trust allows the opportunity to avoid repeating mistakes." He laid a hand on her shoulder.

They descended into a companionable silence until she finally said, "don't you ever think it's weird how so many people can awaken Instinct without ever knowing what the connection with their cards really is?"

Ragnar thought for a moment. "I do not think so. All the time connections are built between people without them ever truly knowing what creates it, how should Instinct be any different? Though I think understanding it is the best path to evolving it."

She sighed wistfully, the ethereal form of Executor appearing and giving her a strange look. "It's easy for me, I guess, since the proof is right in front of me. But how to make a believer out of a skeptic?"

Ragnar smirked. "You meet someone, then?"

She started. "None of your business."

"This is a yes, then. Perhaps do not be so much yourself and stop withholding all the facts from this person."

She shook her head. She hated how hard it was for her to open up to people sometimes, and how hard she found it to trust them. But he would have laughed her off that car park, and the mere thought made her want to break; it had been like looking at her own past, full of spite and cynicism, but she knew that there was a beautiful person in there somewhere. She had to believe it, that he could leave behind the unwilling callousness and become what he wanted as she had, otherwise, what was the point?

From talking to him, she knew that Billy Blake was a duelist at heart. From dueling with him, she learned his nobility and compassion. Even if he himself hadn't realised it yet. She said, "he looked at me like I was mental."

"Then he is wise," said Ragnar. "But perhaps if you create connection strong enough, he has no choice but to believe you. The two me and Dylan face from the American Circuit seem to have this knowledge; as do others. So I do not think it is impossible."

She briefly laid her head on his enormous shoulder. "I suppose. Thank you, blood brother."

"Anytime," said Ragnar. "I will see you later, for now I think I will take this shower."

She watched him leave, and cast her previous doubts from her mind. She had given Billy a leg up, and from there it was up to him. She had plenty of other things to worry about, and another battle she needed to fight, but she needed help.

It was time to bring in another piece.

* * *

"After the game's inception, it took a mere five years for it to grow into a spectator sport with the development of the first holographic projectors, in the form of large arenas with dueling consoles built in. It was nine years and several refinements later when these arenas were rendered obsolete by duel disks, creating..."

Billy tuned out from the lecturer's drone, having a mental argument with himself about whether or not parallel universes existed. And if they did, were the alternate versions of him stuck in similarly dreary situations? He could only hope so. At least then he'd know that boredom was a multiversal constant.

He was in a small room with dirty windows overlooking a dual carriageway, the wallpaper that was once white now off-colour. The carpet was rough and blue, covered by about twenty desks set at uniform distances in five rows. Just under half were occupied, a stretch of open carpet leading to the front where a digital screen took up most of the wall, an old man using a stylus to direct his PowerPoint.

Someone raised a hand to ask a question about whatever paint-drying point the lecturer had made, and Billy sighed. He had never been a fan of lectures. He was the sort of person who learned better with self-study, or by doing things himself. As a teen, it had taken him over twenty attempts to cook a passable bolognese, but he'd found his mother's instruction a waste of time.

After a while, the droning stopped, and Billy looked up to see the geriatric lecturer dragging an unstable trolley around the room, passing out a laptop to each applicant. They were Dell models probably older than he was. He flipped his open, finding a test program already booted up, and entered his details before it loaded onto a form filled with questions.

_1.a. What was the first Duel Monsters set called?_

How the hell should he know? He hadn't even been alive back then. He guessed and carried on. The first few questions were basic knowledge about the history of the game, though he still had to guess a couple of answers. As the test continued, the questions became more complicated, querying his knowledge on rulings and game mechanics, including one particularly tricky scenario regarding Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier and Madolche Nights.

He silently praised his luck.

It took him fifty minutes to complete the whole thing, and he clicked the 'submit' button thinking that he was done. He was proven wrong when a new program loaded up, showing a duel field with a particular set-up and the message 'win in 1 turn'. He clicked 'OK', and a timer popped up in the bottom right corner with a note saying 'attempts remaining: 1/1'.

His field was empty, and his hand held _Blaster, Dragon Ruler of Infernos_, _Burner, Dragon Ruler of Sparks_, three _Malefic Blue Eyes White Dragon_s and he drew _Dimension Fusion_. There were three _Blue Eyes White Dragon_s in his deck. The other side of the field held _Evilswarm Ophion_, _Soul Drain_ and two set cards. During his standby phase, the computer activated _Infestation Pandemic _and _Mistake_, preventing him from adding cards to his hand or destroying Ophion with spell or trap cards. He had twenty-one hundred life points, with the computer's set at nine-thousand.

He clicked his tongue. It was unforgiving with only one attempt, but he shouldn't need any more than one. He didn't even need to trigger set cards to figure out what they were. Activating _Blaster_'s effect, he discarded it with _Burner_ and destroyed _Evilswarm Ophion_. He then banished his three _Blue Eyes_ one at a time to summon their Malefic versions, each being destroyed by its own effect. Finally, he activated _Dimension Fusion_, taking his life points down to a hundred and summoning the three banished _Blue Eyes_. He entered his battle phase and attacked for the win: the timer read nineteen seconds.

Another one loaded up instantly, and it was also easy. He went through thirty duel puzzles, growing in difficulty but none able to leave him grasping for answers like a good puzzle should. He raised his hands after twenty minutes, prompting a surprised look from the lecturer.

The old man said, "are you finished already?"

"Was that really it?" said Billy. "I were expecting it to actually be, y'know, testing."

He could almost feel the glares of the other applicants.

The old man frowned and said, "in that case, it's time for your practical examination. Follow the hallway until you come to the room marked 'arena'."

"Bangin'," said Billy, standing up and leaving the room. If the practical portion was as easy as the theory, he'd have his license in no time. How did people have trouble with this?

* * *

Harry Wickham hated his office.

It was in a corner, with large windows and plenty of natural light, but the inherent noisiness of the forty-first floor of PlatCo made it hard to concentrate. The rowdy bunch of World League duelists were a constant source of annoyance, but it was his job to manage the multiple teams of employees and reconcile their work.

He passed his receptionist on the way back from a meeting with marketing, nodding to her as he did. She barely seemed to notice, instead focusing on filing her nails.

She was middle-aged, and covered herself in tacky jewellery. She had recently changed her perfume to something vaguely resembling a vat of butter. She said, "you have an appointment waiting inside."

Wickham started. "Nobody told me about any appointments." His authoritative voice usually intimidated people, but she was unmoved.

"I had no idea either, but it's on the system. Must have been someone downstairs."

He cursed and walked into his office. It was an average size for someone on six figures, decorated sparsely with plants and a bookcase on the right-hand wall. His desk was simple oak, with a big leather chair behind it and two smaller ones in front.

He stared blankly at the man sitting behind his desk playing with loose stacks of paper. Where Wickham was tall, this man was average. He was bulky compared to Wickham's skinny frame, with a thin mop in contrast to his own thick, neatly-kept hair.

The man said, "Harry Wickham." He didn't pronounce the 'h'.

Wickham said, "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of being acquainted before."

"Name's James Aarons." He reclined back in Wickham's chair. "People call me Jimmy."

Wickham paled. He had heard of the man. "I have no interest in organised crime."

"So your embezzlement, was that just a spur-of-the-moment thing?"

"You can't prove anything."

Jimmy laughed, spinning the globe on the corner of Wickham's desk. "I don't need to. It's about evolution, you see."

"What the bloody hell are you babbling on about?"

"Don't you find it interesting how until someone invented a duel arena, holographic technology was going nowhere? Projectors basically just used reflection. And you needed a screen. Then all of a sudden, boom! Tech explosion."

Wickham's eye twitched. "And your point is?"

"Nineteen-eighty, game begins. Nineteen-ninety, Synchro monsters. Two-thousand, Xyz. And then it took another twenty-eight years for the game to evolve again, why do you think that is?"

"Imanok ran out of ideas?"

"And then had a not-very-good one. Something else is at play here, and I know all about your kooky boss's little investigations into so-called 'strange occurrences'."

Wickham felt his stomach churn. "But he can't prove anything, and neither can you."

Jimmy chuckled. "But what if I could?"

His eyes went wide. "What have you found?"

"The next evolution. And if we were to combine our resources, team up, we could be very rich men indeed."

Wickham smirked. In that case, he couldn't wait to get started.

* * *

**AN: I **_**definitely **_**didn't steal a duel puzzle from Reddit. That 100% DID NOT happen. At all. Not much really happened in this one after an intense first few chapters, a nice little interlude before we get back to the dueling action. And we will, next chapter. I enjoyed delving into Amelia's head, dropping a few things and calling back to events that haven't happened yet (cursed timelines xD).**

**The usual if you loved it or hated it, have any questions or theories popping up, anything to say at all, please leave a review. They are always greeted with a cheer of delight.**

**Now, this is a big shared universe, and there are A LOT of things regarding the universe that can't be revealed by exposition, because it is largely boring and some things don't fit into the narrative. Especially when it's interesting little facts about the writing process. So I've decided to rival ThatLoneAvenger (who was again a massive help) and the Chapterly Question of Yu-Gi-Oh! Mark of Death with my own little **_**Trivia Corner**_**! So here is today's:**

**Trivia Corner  
In the original draft of this story, Billy's last name was **_**Brake**_**. This was because when this story was first conceptualised, it actually featured riding duels as its main focus. That concept was quickly cut and his name was changed to be a reference to English poet William Blake.**

**With that done, all that's left is to thank you guys for reading, and declare that the release day is now Friday. Every Friday, barring extenuating circumstances. And lest we not forget, there are always many stories worth reading:**

_**Yu-Gi-Oh! The Termina Saga **_**by  
**_**NovaZardX  
**__**Summary: **_**In a world based on the Duel Terminal lore, Kageru Hinodama is from the wrong country in a place where war and hatred between races has been commonplace. As a Hiitan, he has always been looked down upon as being cruel, petty, and violent, even though he's anything but. His quest to settle a very personal score is interrupted when the daughter of the Erian lord takes an interest in him, and decides to make him part of a plan to create peace in a continent where peace is no more than an ideal.**

**See you next week.**

*** The word 'nonce' is British slang for a paedophile. Billy wears a trench coat (as described in the first chapter), which is apparel often associated with such things by children in England. Believe me when I say this, it is something that gets shouted at people a lot.**


	6. A License is More Than a Plastic Card

**OP1: Dragonforce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**6: A License is More Than Just A Plastic Card**

Billy shut the door behind him, plunging himself into darkness.

The click of the latch echoed, and the place smelled of old wood and sweat, so it was probably a gymnasium of some kind.

A voice boomed from somewhere in the room, projected to echo off the walls. "Find me, young duelist, and your trial shall begin!"

Billy sighed. He fumbled around on the wall near the door, running his fingers lightly over rough paintwork. The light switch was always near the door. He found it, and flicked it down. He turned around to see that the room was smaller than he'd first thought, a cube maybe fifteen feet square, a duel field etched into the centre of the panelled floor. The ceiling was tall and there were no windows or decoration, just the field and an exuberant-looking man at the far end.

He was around six feet tall with sharp features and narrow eyes, a white robe flowing across him with bizarre designs embroidered in gold. He frowned and held a device up, pressing a button. The lights switched off again.

Billy flicked the switch, and they turned back on.

The man pressed his button.

Billy flicked the switch.

"Oi, see here," the man said with a hint of a North London accent, "you're supposed to stumble onto the edge of the duel field, whereupon I turn on the lights and you stand there, awestruck, at the appearance of the great and powerful Guardian!"

Billy eyed him. "You alright, you?"

"Yes, fine, thank you," he said. "Just so you know, you'll be marked down for this."

"For what, showing common sense?"

The Guardian sighed before billowing his robe, striking a ridiculous pose. "Behold, the gatekeeper of the trial all aspiring professionals must face: I am the Guardian!"

Billy said, "you already told me that."

"This is the part where you tell me your name!"

Billy stifled a groan. This was tiresome, but sometimes tiresome things needed to be done. He reminded himself of where dinner would be coming from if he failed here. He wasn't strong enough yet. "Billy Blake."

The Guardian pulled a duel disk from within his robe and put it on his wrist, activating it. "You may turn back now, and thou shalt know not shame!"

Billy stared at him. "What was that thing from the bible? _Thou shalt not make a tit of thyself_?"

The Guardian pointed at him. "And for that, you lose marks!"

Billy activated his duel disk. "Can you seriously just arbitrarily take marks from people for telling you how much of an idiot you are?"

He glanced around shiftily through a messy black fringe. "Let us duel!"

Billy drew his cards.

**Billy: 4000  
****The Guardian: 4000**

"It is customary for the challenger to take the first turn," said the Guardian.

"Alright then," said Billy. "I activate my field spell, Gateway to Chaos!" A ball of white light formed and hovered above a field permeated by a warm blue. "Thanks to this, I can add a Black Luster Soldier or Gaia the Fierce Knight monster to my hand, so I'll add my Super Soldier!" He showed the card. "Next up, the Foolish Burial spell card!"

A grave appeared on the field. The Guardian said, "ah, of course! Utilising the famous Black Luster Soldier, a chaos theme which requires monsters in the graveyard! What an utterly standard opening move!"

Billy faltered. "Are you taking the piss?"

"Please," he said, "do continue. What banishment fodder shall you be discarding, young hopeful?"

Billy's eye twitched. "The 'banishment fodder' is Beginning Knight." The young warrior appeared before being dragged into the grave. "And you can't be that much older than me, you're no more than thirty. And that robe doesn't make you look any older, it just makes you look like a circus performer."

The Guardian laughed. "How foolish! I am, in actual fact, thirty-three!"

"You know, if you say that in an Irish accent, you're a dirty tree."

He raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. You gain some marks back for mind games!"

Billy ignored the strain in the guy's voice and continued. "I summon Super Soldier Soul!" A suit of golden armour appeared, its bottom half a shield and wings protruding from its flanks **(Lv. 1, ATK: 0)**.

The Guardian gasped. "A monster with no attack points? I mean, that couldn't _possibly _have some kind of hidden ability, could it?"

Billy said, "how has nobody stabbed you yet?"

"Well, that tends to be an automatic failure." He eyed Billy. "And no, it is not worth it."

"I prefer blunt force trauma," said Billy, only half-joking. "Anyway, you're right about the hidden ability: I send a Black Luster Soldier monster from my hand to my grave, and Soul gets to become Black Luster Soldier! I'll discard my Super Soldier!" The ethereal form of the warrior shed his armour, stepping into the armour of the Soul and glowing with energy **(ATK: 0 - 3000)**. "And since a card was sent from my hand to the grave, Gateway to Chaos gains a spell counter!" The ball of light grew brighter **(Gateway to Chaos: 1 Spell Counter)**. "I set one card and end my turn."

The Guardian grinned. "Then it is mine! And do you know what's wonderful about a constantly evolving game? That even the oldest strategies can take on new forms! With my Kaenjin and Daichijin, I set the Pendulum scales!" Two pillars of light appeared on either side of his field, within each of which formed a monster. To Billy's left was a fire spirit in the vague shape of a man with a _6_ above its head, and to his right was a rock golem with an _8_ above it.

He'd read about them, but it was the first time he'd seen the method used. It looked a lot less ridiculous when it was a proper hologram, he decided. "Is this where you summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?"

"At least you can keep up!" said the Guardian, billowing his robe again. "That's more than I can say for most people. I Pendulum summon Kazejin, Suijin and Sanga of the Thunder!" A stone swung in an arc above the field, sprinkling light down which coalesced into three monsters: a spirit of water **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2500)**, a green quadruped **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2400)**, and a floating yellow body which crackled with electricity **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2600)**.

"I'm guessing there's more," said Billy, "since none of those monsters have the attack power to beat my Soul."

He said, "an astute observation! Really, excellent analytical ability you have there, but it won't save you! You see, both of my Pendulum monsters have effects which activate when I Pendulum summon monsters while the other is set in the other zone. Kaenjin adds a normal spell to my hand, and Daichijin adds a normal trap card! I choose to add Soul Taker and Higher Dimension Guard!"

Billy rolled his eyes. "If I had a quid for every time someone said that something wouldn't save me, I could probably buy this building."

"I doubt it," said the Guardian. "It's not for sale! I now activate Soul Taker, targeting your Super Soldier Soul! A test well fought, but I'm afraid it ends here!" A ghostly hand rose from the ground, grasping at Billy's monster.

He rolled his eyes again. "For that one, I could probably afford a bus. I activate my trap card: Super Soldier Shield!" Energy grew from the shield portion of Billy's monster, cutting off the hand which approached. "I can negate an effect which targets a Black Luster Soldier I control and destroy it!" The hand disappeared.

The Guardian grunted. "Congratulations, you have surpassed playground level."

"That explains the costume," said Billy.

The Guardian said, "and now we level up! I tribute my three monsters in order to summon this most noble of creatures! Combine the elements of storm and destruction to become the ultimate protector of the gate!" The quadruped leaped up and drew in its limbs, becoming a body to the bottom of which the water spirit attached itself, with Sanga combining on top to create one monster from the three, flexing and roaring as its presence bore over Billy **(Lv. 11, ATK: 3750)**. "Rise, Gate Guardian!"

Billy exhaled. "Jesus Christ."

The Guardian guffawed. "Pray all you like, no God passes his gate!"

"Maybe," said Billy, "but since you just sent three monsters to your graveyard, Gateway gains three more counters!" The light once again intensified **(Gateway to Chaos: 4 Spell Counters)**.

"No matter what secret your spell counters hold, it matters not before the Guardian! He is so powerful that he summons his fellows alongside him! Come to me, Kaenjin and Daichijin!" The Pendulum scales disappeared, the two monsters moving to flank Gate Guardian **(Lv. 7, DEF: 1000 x2)**.

"Now allow me to reiterate," he said. "No matter what card your field spell will allow you to bring to your hand, it will make no difference!" He smiled. "I understand you are likely confused as to how I know what the effect will do without reading the card, but herein lies the lesson: you see-"

"Well it's not that hard to figure out," said Billy. "It adds a ritual monster to my hand, the other effect probably adds a spell, doesn't it?"

The Guardian gave him a flat stare. "Has anyone ever told you that you have a knack for sucking the fun out of things?"

"It has been pointed out to me. Way I see it, you don't need a digital display to duel. Just a deck and a brain. The apps are nice, though."

The Guardian beamed. "It seems you have at least the mindset of a pro, but I am yet to see the skill! Gate Guardian, annihilate his Super Soldier Soul!" The giant monster slammed a yellow fist down on the armour, shattering it in a cacophony of tearing metal **(Billy: 4000 - 3250)**. "I set a card and end my turn."

"Wonder what _that _could be," said Billy as he drew his card. He knew what it was, but not what it did. He knew that Gate Guardian had no inherent protection, though, so it was probably a card that would protect it. He'd draw it out and see. "You were right about the counters: by removing three of them, I can add a Black Luster Soldier ritual spell to my hand!" The light over the field dimmed and a hologram of a card flew over to Billy's hand as the real version popped from his deck **(Gateway to Chaos: 1 Spell Counter)**. "The ritual spell I choose is Super Soldier Synthesis!"

"But last I checked," said the Guardian, "you sent your ritual monster to the graveyard! So that was a mere ploy, was it?"

"He says like he had any reaction, _at all_. Obviously I'm not pitching my ace monster without a way to bring it back, and I'll use it now: by tributing one light and one dark monster, one from my deck and one from my hand, I can activate Super Soldier Synthesis!"

A black spot appeared on Billy's field. It was almost imperceptible, an atomic smear of darkness that didn't really exist. "I discard Alexandrite Dragon from my hand and Evening Twilight Knight from my deck!" The two monsters materialised briefly before being pulled in to the singularity, which began to expand and glow. "Soldier of Chaos, resurrect thy superhuman form through power of sacrifice!" Pinpricks of light ignited in a distance within the singularity, in the centre of which lay a pulsating embryo. It grew rapidly, splitting and disintegrating to reveal an armoured warrior with a sword on one wrist and a shield on the other **(Lv. 8, 3000)**. "The soldier of universal law: Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier!" The light above the field grew brighter **(Gateway to Chaos: 3 Spell Counters)**.

The Guardian clapped. "Well, that was suitably epic and entertaining. One flaw in your thinking though: how's it going to beat my Gate Guardian with such low attack power, hm?"

Billy chuckled. "The effect of Evening Twilight Knight gives the ritual monster it was used to summon an extra effect!" A shadow of a younger form flashed inside Billy's monster. "Namely, he can target one monster on your field and banish it!" Super Soldier slashed the air, a rift barrelling towards the composite creature.

"Not if my trap card has anything to say about it!" The Guardian's set card flipped up, showing a figure within a matrix. That same matrix appeared on the field, enclosing his monsters and stopping Super Soldier's assault in its tracks. "With my Higher Dimension Guard, I can banish my Kaenjin to protect my Gate Guardian from both battle _and_ card effects!" The fire spirit vanished, being pulled into the matrix which fed energy into a shield around Gate Guardian.

Billy sniffed. "But I can destroy your other monster just fine. Super Sabre Strike!" His warrior cleaved through the golem as if it weren't even there.

"But my monster was in defence mode," said The Guardian, "so I remain unscathed!"

"Think again," said Billy. "My Super Soldier damages you equal to the attack points of a monster it destroyed in battle!" Super Soldier allowed the momentum of his slash to carry him forward, launching an upward strike through The Guardian **(The Guardian: 4000 - 2800)**. "And don't forget another counter goes on my field spell **(Gateway to Chaos: 3 Spell Counters)**!"

"Hm," said The Guardian. "Yet ultimately, you are still at a disadvantage."

"We'll see about that," said Billy. "I end my turn."

The Guardian drew his card with a flourish. "Gate Guardian, destroy his Super Soldier!" The warrior braced his hands above his head as the fist crashed down upon him. He pushed and fought and scrambled but in the end, he was crushed into the floor **(Billy: 3250 - 2500) (Gateway to Chaos: 4 Spell Counters)**.

"Saw that coming," said Billy.

"Congratulations," said The Guardian, placing his only card into his disk. "But you didn't see this coming! The quick-play spell Sword of the Gate!" A rune-engraved sword made of rock appeared in one of Gate Guardian's hands, almost dwarfing the creature. "This mighty blade smites you for half of your life points!" Gate Guardian dropped the sword on Billy. He felt a weird buzzing sensation **(Billy: 2500 - 1250)**.

"My turn," said Billy. He had talked a big game, but he was out of options. The card he'd just drawn wouldn't help. The only other card in his hand was a new one, with an effect that would turn the game in his favour if used correctly, but he lacked the other pieces for that. He twitched. Patience was a virtue, and his only option was to play defensively for now. "I set a monster and end my turn."

* * *

Amelia waited. She was in a cafe wedged between a stairway and a thicket in the corner of a park, the path to the doorway just a track beaten into the dirt. The inside was dark and cramped, the only light coming from a few tiny portholes. She sat at one of the two tables, cradling a mug of coffee as she sniffed; she didn't necessarily prefer _luxury_, but she would rather have had some actual light. And room to breathe.

She had stressed the need to be covert, though, and her contact had delivered. She eyed the door. She had thought of the best way to approach this, but the person she was dealing with wouldn't miss a trick. She needed her help, and she needed her to trust her, so she'd have to play this one carefully.

She could have been wrong. Her efforts could have all been for nothing. But her intuition told her otherwise, and it made her bones quiver. It had been just a flash in the corner of her eye, and she'd ignored it, but that face was carved into the very back of her mind.

The Enemy.

That's what they had called him. She had been different to them though: more focused, more ruthless.

She shook her head. That was a past she had no desire to relive, and she doubted that it was related. She knew what he was, though, and the thought of him interacting with a PlatCo executive chilled her.

She looked up as she heard the door open, seeing a petite blonde woman shuffling in. She had a laptop bag that looked out of proportion to her size, and the vivid colours of her dress were muted by the dimness. She shoved her bag onto the table and sat across from Amelia.

She said, "so what does the Duel Monsters world champion want with a journalist? I don't think I ever said anything bad about you." Her accent was German.

Amelia smirked. She liked this woman already. "_A _world champion, not _the _World Champion. I'd have to beat all the other champions if you wanted to call me that."

She nodded. "That sounds like exactly the kind of thing the world needs to see."

Amelia laughed. "Like they'd ever let that happen! Can you imagine the Americans, who held onto their crappy duel disks for so long because they didn't invent the ones with wi-fi and better holograms, actually finding out that their champion is inferior to me? I think they'd die of shock; or embarrassment, or both."

It was the blonde's turn to laugh. "I suppose this is true. None of it answers my question, though."

Amelia tilted her chin. She liked her even more now. "What if I told you there might be a conspiracy?"

She shifted in her chair. "To do what?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, so why do you think there's a conspiracy?"

She shook her head. "Just a feeling in my gut."

The small woman sighed. "I need more than that. I need to know where the feeling comes from. I'm not going to help you look into this if it's just some crackpot theory without a shred of evidence."

Amelia smiled. "Coming from Lina Janssen, the woman who wrote about spirits in Aokigahara."

Lina sniffed. "I suggested the evidence for both sides and let the readers come to their own conclusions."

She had her on the ropes now. A little ego stroke was the next trick. "Evidence that you found and put together. That's the thing, Lina, you find things. What are you, twenty-six? You're only a couple of years older than me and you're already so well-respected in your field." She beamed. "If anyone can find the evidence, it's you."

Turning away, Lina blushed and hunched her shoulders. "I can't find anything with nothing to go on."

Amelia grinned. That had only been a primer: now she would feed the woman's curiosity with something it couldn't ignore. "I saw a gangster walking into an executive's office yesterday. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I've had this feeling since then. I don't know much about him, just his name."

Lina leaned forward, eyes locked on Amelia. "How do you know who this man is?"

She shuffled uncomfortably. "It's better if you don't know that. Unless it becomes relevant."

Lina groaned. "Fine, I suppose. What's this gangster's name?"

"Jimmy Aarons."

* * *

"It's my turn!" said The Guardian. "And such a pitiful defence is nothing against the might of my Gate Guardian, especially when I equip him with this!" A sharp and jagged armour assembled around the monster, dangerous spikes jutting out from the joints. It was engraved with the same runes as the component monsters. "Armour of the Gate! You now can't destroy my monster with card effects _or _target it for battle, and you can't target it with the effects of monsters of an equal or lower level!" He cackled.

"Go, my invincible Gate Guardian, and destroy his pathetic defending monster!" Gate Guardian pounded down, his wrist spikes impaling Armageddon Knight before he had a chance to scream. "And now for the final effect of my Armour!"

Billy gulped. At this point, it was _definitely _something to inflict damage.

"When Gate Guardian destroys a monster in defence mode," said The Guardian, "it inflicts that monster's defence points to you as damage!" Gate Guardian punched through Billy **(Billy: 1250 - 50)**. "I end my turn, so show me your final desperate struggle!" **(Gateway to Chaos: 5 Spell Counters)**

Billy twitched. He was right, though: the situation was desperate. He couldn't play defensively anymore, since that would wipe him out. Hell, a strong breeze would have wiped him out at that point. He had nothing but a field spell of limited use, and one card in his hand; everything would rest on his next draw.

He drew, and he smiled. It was a lifeline. "I activate the spell card Chaos Draw!" A portal full of stars and swirling darkness materialised on the field. "By banishing one light and one dark monster from my graveyard, I can draw two cards!" The spirits of Armageddon Knight and Alexandrite Dragon were drawn into the portal, which then emitted a beam of energy into Billy's deck as he drew his cards.

"Good ones, I hope?" said The Guardian.

Billy grinned as he remembered the card he had added to his extra deck. Any monster with a _level _equal to or lower than Gate Guardian's… This could work. "By banishing my Beginning Knight and Evening Twilight Knight, I summon Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning!" The warrior emerged, drawing his sword **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**.

The Guardian laughed. "But his effect won't work against my Armoured Gate Guardian, and even if you can boost his attack power, Gate Guardian can't be targeted for attacks!"

"Gate Guardian this, Gate Guardian that," said Billy, "do you ever talk about anything else? I activate the spell card Monster Reborn! I'm sure I don't have to tell you what this does."

"The clue is rather in the name," said The Guardian. "But I'm docking you for lack of dramatic flair."

Billy almost fell over. "Ah, whatever. I'll bring back my Super Soldier!" The monster appeared next to the Envoy.

"Yet another useless monster," bellowed The Guardian. "Is there any kind of end goal here, or do you just plan to swarm me with mediocrity?"

Billy bristled. "Things that are useless on their own can come together and be a force for change. I overlay my level eight Super Soldier and Envoy of the Beginning!" A galaxy expanded above their heads, the two monsters becoming tiny stars and being drawn in. "Evolution of dragonkin, lend me thy blade!" There was a flash, and a bipedal dragon descended, resplendent in shining armour and wielding a greatsword in one hand **(Rk. 8, ATK: 2800)**. "Descend, dragon knight of justice: Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand!"

The Guardian hummed. "So you've found the weakness of my equip spell, but unless your Felgrand has an effect to destroy my Guardian, you still can't defeat him!"

Billy smirked. "I activate the effect of Felgrand!" The dragon-knight held up his sword, absorbing one of the stars orbiting him. "By giving up one overlay unit, I can negate the effects of one opposing monster this turn!" He swung the sword, the air pressure forming into a binding around his giant enemy.

The Guardian looked at Billy, puzzled. "But Gate Guardian doesn't have any effects… what's the other effect?"

Billy's smile grew. "The monster who has its effects negated this turn also isn't affected by any other card effects!"

The Guardian's eyes widened. "But that would mean…" He watched as the armour on his monster decayed, becoming crinkled and squishy.

"That's right," said Billy. "Your equip spell loses its power!"

"But you're still short on attack points!"

"We'll see about that! Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand, attack Gate Guardian!" The dragon-knight launched himself forwards, readying his weapon.

"Gate Guardian, intercept!" The huge monster threw a fist at Felgrand, which the warrior blocked with his sword. Gate Guardian pushed him back. The sword looked like it was about to break soon, and take the last of Billy's life points with it.

"During the damage step," said Billy, "I activate the effect of the Honest in my hand!" An angel rose up on feathered wings, bathing Billy's monster in its light. The sword repaired itself and hardened, Felgrand pushing back against the monstrous fist with renewed vigour. "By discarding it, a light monster that's battling gains the attack points of the monster it's facing!"

The Guardian gasped **(DDKF ATK: 2800 - 6550)**. Felgrand's blade cut a chip in Gate Guardian's fist, gaining purchase there to rip through its arm as he ran forwards and sliced through the creature's chest. A groaning sound echoed across the walls as it collapsed, first into chunks and then into pebbles, becoming dust to be blown on the wind **(The Guardian: 2800 - 0)**.

The holograms dissipated and The Guardian stowed his duel disk, laughing. "That was magnificent! I love the way you ring in your summons: snappy and catchy, after the American mold. And the determination, and the way you broke through an ironclad defence despite being on the brink of defeat: if it were up to me, I'd hand you your license right now."

Billy raised an eyebrow. "If it was up to you?"

He sighed exaggeratedly. "It's not. All the separate portions of your test are sent to the adjudicators, then they decide if you get your license or not. You scored almost perfectly on this one, though."

"What about all the points I lost?"

"More than made up for."

"So when will they decide?"

"When they decide. They'll send you an email when it happens, until then, go home. Watch TV, see your friends, whatever you youngsters do these days."

Billy rolled his eyes. "So… wait then. Wonderful, get to be a fish waiting for feeding time."

He turned on his heel and made to leave.

"Do not forget!" called The Guardian. "The lessons you have learned here today. Though the path you travel may be hard, your every trial is a new lesson! Be brave, be bold, and most importantly-"

Billy shut the door and walked away.

* * *

Lina tapped away at her keys, and Amelia took another drink from the waitress. She had switched to tea; it was taking a long time, and the caffeine was making her giddy.

"Got something," said Lina. "A James Reginald Aarons III - that's definitely a fake name - had an appointment with Harry Wickham earlier. Know him?"

Amelia muttered darkly. "He seems to be good at his job, but I always thought he was so… generic."

"Probably by design," said Lina. "He's been embezzling from the company for years."

Amelia stared at her. "How has nobody noticed?"

"He's good at covering his tracks. Small amounts from different areas, good reasons for the loss, untraceable movement. Well, _almost_ untraceable." She clicked on something and began typing so fast her fingers were a blur.

"Anything to connect them?"

"Not until today. Just after they met, there's a payment from one of Wickham's dummy accounts. It bounced across the world, but I'm pretty sure that on the other side is Jimmy the third."

"Told you," said Amelia.

"You cannot blame a journalist for being skeptical."

They fell into silence. It wasn't quite awkward, but it wasn't companionable either, the tense air of distrust and unfamiliarity negated by mutual interests. Amelia got through three more cups of tea, excusing herself to use a public toilet once. While she waited, she wondered how quickly Lina could conquer the world with the internet. Probably very.

Lina finally said, "do you have any idea what 'SGL' means?"

Amelia paled, and she was sure she had started shaking. It couldn't be. She had destroyed it.

"That's a yes, then," said Lina.

* * *

He couldn't wait.

He knew he had to, but he had always been the kind of person to act in the spur of the moment, so waiting was hard for him. He fidgeted in his seat, a wooden thing that creaked ominously. He was at a small round table in the corner of a dingy pub, the only customer in there. The main room was wide and shallow, a bar running along the back wall with tables and fruit machines lining the walls. It smelled stale, like old carpets and stained furniture.

It was cheap though. The pint in front of him had only cost three pounds fifty, an absolute bargain in London. He took a long swig, leaving a gulp in the glass. He finally wanted something. He wanted it more than anything else, more than he wanted to live, and he couldn't explain it. He hadn't remembered how it felt to truly want something, having numbed himself to the world years ago. It was agonising.

He couldn't stop second-guessing himself and wondering if he was good enough, and each passing second only served to increase his anxiety. What if he failed? Would he go back to where he had been, burgling and mugging and causing pain? He wouldn't. He couldn't. He'd found something better, a way to give joy to people instead of taking it away.

He wasn't about to let go of that.

* * *

**ED1: Shinedown - Better Version**

* * *

**AN: **I know the runes are Kanji. But they're also runes. They're Kanji runes. Billy got a deck upgrade, and just in time too, 'cause he needed it. His practical test takes him to the limit, but our hero prevails. Will he actually pass, though? You'll find out next week.

Amelia's starting to dig into what she thinks is a conspiracy, and she's recruited herself a journalist who apparently has computer skills! What do we all think of Lina? And just how big is this whole thing? And what does SGL mean? You'll find out if you keep coming here on Fridays (sometimes Saturdays)! Or any other day of the week you choose to read it, really. It could be a Wednesday right now.

Lastly my usual shout-out to ThatLoneAvenger for his excellent beta work, and if you have anything to say about the story, even if it's just a couple of words, please leave a review down below, and follow and favourite if you enjoyed it! Now here's this week's:

**Trivia Corner  
**Remember Ragnar, from the last chapter? He used to be called Michael. Then I started writing him and for some stupid reason (probably all the Vikings I'd been watching at the time), the voice I got in my head was Travis Fimmel's. Hence Ragnar.

**Kaenjin  
****FIRE/Pyro/Pendulum  
****Level 7  
****ATK: 1200 DEF: 1000  
****Pendulum scales: 6/6  
****Pendulum Effect: When you pendulum summon a monster(s) from your hand while 'Daichijin' is in your other Pendulum zone: you can add 1 normal spell card from your deck to your hand. If 'Gate Guardian' is on the field while this card is in your Pendulum zone: special summon this card.**

**Daichijin  
****EARTH/Rock/Pendulum  
****Level 7  
****ATK: 1200 DEF: 1000  
****Pendulum scales: 8/8  
****Pendulum effect: When you Pendulum summon a monster(s) from your hand while 'Kaenjin' is in your other Pendulum zone: you can add 1 normal trap card from your deck to your hand. If 'Gate Guardian' is on the field while this card is in your Pendulum zone: special summon this card.**

**Sword of the Gate  
****Quick-play spell  
****When 'Gate Guardian' you control destroys an opponent's monster by battle and inflicts damage to your opponent: inflict damage to your opponent equal to half of their LP.**

**Armour of the Gate  
****Equip spell  
**'**Gate Guardian' you control that is equipped with this card cannot be targeted for battle by your opponent, and it cannot be destroyed by card effects. Your opponent cannot target the equipped monster with the effects of monsters that have a level equal to or less than the equipped monster. If the equipped monster destroys an opponent's DEF position monster in battle: inflict damage to your opponent equal to the destroyed monster's DEF.**

**Chaos Draw  
****Normal spell  
****Banish 1 LIGHT and 1 DARK monster from your GY; draw 2 cards.**


	7. When Dealing With Criminals

**OP1: Dragonforce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**7: When Dealing With Criminals, Keep Your Wallet in Sight at All Times**

Billy lived in a basement that was probably once an illegal prison. Or a torture chamber. He preferred not to think about it. It had been cheap enough that the loan from Terry had covered it, and nobody really knew he was there. It was a pocket of Chelsea that modernisation and upkeep had forgotten, so most of the city preferred to forget that the area existed too.

Out of sight, out of mind, he supposed.

The inside was clean, the stone walls old enough to tell his grandfather stories about the good old days. The front door opened into a medium-sized living room with a built-in kitchenette along the back wall, a door on either side leading to his bedroom and the bathroom. There was a small TV against the left-hand wall, a shabby couch across from it and a patchwork coffee table in-between. It wasn't much, but it was home.

He flicked the kettle on and walked over to the couch, flicking the TV to the news. They were running some fluff story about how a terrorist attack early in the year had brought professional dueling organisations closer together: he thought it was stupid. It had been a shared event that had been attacked, after all, so he questioned the distance between companies. He also questioned why they were still talking about something that happened in January as they approached May, but he supposed that was the nature of world-changing events. They were hard to forget.

He almost did a spit-take when he heard the next part.

Apparently Amelia had been kidnapped during the incident. He _really _needed to pay more attention to the world. It had only been three months beforehand, and it had skated straight past him. He'd take notice of news alerts from now on, he decided. This explained the scar on Amelia's face, at least. He'd ask her about it.

A smile bubbled up, but the kettle clicked and Billy stood to go and attend to his drink when he heard his duel disk buzz. He tilted his head and looked at the screen. It was a notification from the email app. He picked up the disk, and clicked the notification.

The adjudicators must have been on speed or something. Just one day later, he had an email from the Platinum Corporation.

* * *

Billy arrived in Tottenham, dismounting his bike in front of a modest building. It was blue, with white fenestrations and a big sign above glass doors that read 'English National League'. He locked his bike to a railing next to the kerb. The pavement was wide and next to a main road which smelled of fumes and overpowered the street with its din, a path cutting from it to behind the building. He had to weave through a crowd to reach the double doors, and his trip was rife with pickpocketing opportunities. People needed to be more careful, he thought.

He walked into a blue-and-white corridor with a reception desk to the right of him and a row of uncomfortable-looking chairs to the left. He squinted. There were LEDs along the whole ceiling, and it was brighter than outside. He wondered if they were trying to blind him. He turned to his right and faced the desk, a long oaken piece at chest height with a smooth finish. There was a door to the left of it, and the room behind it had computers and filing cabinets and a window. Billy could smell wood polish and printed paper as he approached. He looked down to a man who was sitting on the other side of the desk, staring at a computer screen hidden by its top lip.

He looked average height and skinny. He had wiry hair and unfocused eyes that stared at his computer as if he was stoned, or bored, or both. Billy coughed. The guy looked up.

"Can I help you?" he said. He had a Brummie accent.

Billy said, "I'm here to pick up a license."

He tapped a few keys. "Name please."

"Billy Blake."

He tapped some more keys. "All right, if you'd like to take a seat someone will be right with you."

The guy went back to staring at his screen, and Billy plodded over to the row of hard plastic chairs and sat down. He shifted. After thirty seconds, his backside hurt. After another thirty, he started tapping his feet on the laminate floor. He stared down at it: it was shiny, and he found that his foot slid easily across the wax. That couldn't be safe.

His feet moved on their own to tap out a beat, his trainers crinkling along small tears. He needed a new pair of shoes. He began to sing under his breath, trying to distract himself from the wait. Looking up and around, he saw a clock on the wall behind the reception desk. It read one forty-two PM. It had been two minutes.

He growled. Did time have to move so bloody slowly?

He looked back at the clock. It had been a further ten seconds. He sighed and leaned his head back into the wall, shifting again. The ceiling was papered, he noticed, the LEDs bouncing off the patterns. He let his mind drift, connecting the patterns into coherent images in his head. He managed to swirl them into System Administrator Executor, himself dueling a faceless giant in a stadium and a new pair of shoes before he was snapped from his reverie.

"Billy Blake?"

He looked forward. The woman in front of him was middle-aged, about his height with a crinkled nose and hair scraped back into a bun. She wore a sharp pantsuit, and her perfume smelled subtle and expensive. He stood up and said, "yeah."

She offered a hand, which he shook. She said, "my name's Sharon Lynden, and I'm the chairwoman of the English National League. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Billy raised an eyebrow. "Why is the chairwoman giving me my license?"

The corner of her mouth twitched, and he thought he might have committed some kind of social faux pas. He didn't care. There were more important things. She cleared her throat and said, "if it was that simple, why wouldn't we just post it to you? All successful licensees get a full induction from me."

"Well, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule," said Billy, unsure if he meant it. "So where's everyone else?"

She smirked. "Just you."

He stared blankly. "What, really?"

"Yeah," she said, her pitch ascending throughout the word. "Sometimes nobody passes the test, and it's rare to see someone pass first time, that's why we hold exams and inductions throughout the season. It's not an easy test, as you know."

Billy nodded. "If you say so."

She gestured down the corridor. "Let's get started."

* * *

Dread was not productive. Dread was not rational.

But dread was what she felt.

Of course, fear was natural, and some could even be healthy. It was how she had survived, and how people evolved to be dominant. Fear, and the pessimism born of it, allowed her to imagine the worst-case scenario, and anything she could imagine, she could plan for.

But this wasn't simple fear.

When Lina had read the acronym to her, just three letters, it had felt like time had stopped. Like her heart had ceased its beating. Her mouth had filled with cotton and her vocal chords contracted to a point they may as well have been nonexistent. Was her past finally catching up to her? Gangsters. Corporate executives. Illegal duels. Perhaps they wanted vengeance for her part in their turf wars. Or maybe for the casualties of her past crusade.

No. She wasn't so self-absorbed that she could believe that. Something else was happening, something bigger than any individual, a thought that had terrified her from the beginning. She had prayed that she was wrong, that a figure caught in her periphery was no more than her mind playing tricks, inventing enemies to feed her desperate desire for redemption. But even if she was wrong, she had to be sure. The last time she had ignored that feeling of danger, she had ended up kidnapped and tied to a chair. She had a scar on her face to remember it by. She had looked up to see Lina staring at her, waiting for an answer.

She had run away, then. She left the tiny cafe without a word, retrieving her motorcycle and breaking at least five laws on her race back home. She had let dread consume her and sought to bury her head, letting somebody else deal with it. She was ashamed of that. It left a bitter taste in her mouth knowing that she, a paragon of logic, had let her emotions take over. They had no place there.

And so the next morning, she had swallowed her pride and called Lina. To nobody's surprise, the woman had already managed to find the address of Amelia's Chelsea apartment (she'd have to figure out later who kept these secrets and punish them) and was already en route to begin the interrogation. Amelia had stared out over the city through wall-height windows, seeing the more deprived areas close to her and the cityscape as a whole, full of millions of interconnected stories portraying beauty and love and loss. It was a shame she had to spend so much time travelling, she thought.

She had also seen a pinprick on a pushbike that might have been Billy, and resisted a strong urge to step onto the balcony and see how her throwing arm did from the fiftieth floor. If she wanted to bully him, she could do it face-to-face. And if she wanted to start a conversation, there were better methods. But he was best left alone. He was the most important piece on her board, and she needed to protect him until the endgame, when he'd become the most powerful. Until then, she had other focuses.

Like the journalist boring holes in her with her eyes.

Lina had walked straight in like she owned the place and sunk into one of two leather couches which faced each other in the middle of her living room. Amelia had sat across from her. It was a large room, the front door leading into a small hallway which opened directly into it. It was made to seem larger by the minimalism, the set of couches with a TV on the wall to Amelia's left, doors to her bedroom and the kitchen on the opposite wall. There was a heavy table between the couches, on top of one of a few rugs covering the laminate floor, and every inch of wall space was covered by bookcases. The tall windows illuminated the entire room, the red wallpaper flashing the colour of blood in the late morning light.

Lina continued to glare at her. Amelia sighed and said, "I'm sorry about last night."

"So you should be," said Lina. "We're supposed to be working together. Pull something like that again and I'm out."

Amelia said, "I'm surprised you're still here now, to be honest."

"Hmph," said Lina. "I'm not going anywhere until I remove that superglue from your lips. Now, what is 'SGL'?"

She shuffled in her seat. That was sensitive, and she didn't want to tell her. She was scared that Lina would look at her with disgust and end their partnership, and she couldn't bear the thought. She was actually starting to care about the woman. She berated herself at this: it was illogical. The information was relevant, and she had no right to keep it to herself. She pushed the feelings down.

"It stands for 'Southwark Gladiator League'," said Amelia. "It's an illegal dueling ring from years ago."

Lina leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "What makes it so illegal? Where did it go? And why would they bring it back? Why not just start something else that people couldn't guess?"

She bit her bottom lip. "When you lost a duel there, you died. If the shock collar didn't kill you when your life points ran out, your opponent did."

Lina frowned. "Hence 'Gladiator', I suppose. That sounds barbaric."

"It was," said Amelia. "As for where it went, I destroyed it and the people in it."

Lina inclined her head. "How did you know about it to target it? Does that have to do with the missing parts of your record?"

Of course she had looked into her. She was a journalist, and it was the logical thing to do. Still, she couldn't help but feel hurt. Distrusted. There was a reason she didn't open up to people. She said, "at least someone at PlatCo's competent enough to put information where you can't find it." She sighed. "It's a long story."

"I'm listening," said Lina.

"When I was a kid, my life was pretty rocky. I got adopted by this really sweet old man called Scott, but he was frail. He couldn't keep control of me. And when I was at school, I was really quiet and bookish, and I did better than everyone else and they didn't like it, so they did their best to make me feel inferior. Then I discovered Duel Monsters, and I had a way to crush and humiliate them."

"So you bullied them back," said Lina.

"Yes." She paused as she struggled to find the right words. She was trying to frame the story in a way that stressed her circumstances, that made it sound like she wasn't a monster. But it was hard without dredging up trauma, and besides, in her eyes, she had been. She looked at Lina, her hands clasped under her chin with an understanding gaze focused on her, and sighed again. It was just a fraction of her past. But it hurt so much. To hell with it.

Amelia said, "don't get me wrong, it made me friends as well. But I took them for granted, and they left me. I thought I was better than everyone, so I left to find a new challenge."

"And you did," said Lina.

"I did," said Amelia, skipping over all the other parts. Those weren't relevant. "The SGL recruited me, and I crushed everyone they put in front of me. If I hesitated to kill someone, they tortured them until I did. But I didn't care; people feared me. I thought they revered me. That they knew their places." She shook her head. "But then they wanted more from me, and I said no." She stopped again, rubbing her forehead. She'd do anything to forget the next part. Lina was focused on her, but said nothing.

Amelia continued, "By the time they were done with me, I just curled up and waited to die. Then Gary found me. Gary Danforth, my adoptive brother. I almost thought that the universe was giving me a sign. Telling me not to die. Obviously I knew better, but he was so kind, and so gentle, and he didn't even judge me for the things I'd done. He helped me realise who I really was, under all the pain and arrogance and abandonment, and then he tried to help me get better. Eventually, I did, but the men behind the SGL took notice. And they thought that they could use him as leverage. I got him out, but it went wrong."

"I don't like where this is going," said Lina.

"They-" She clamped her lips shut and sniffed, hard, trying to stop herself from welling up. Tears didn't solve anything. "They killed him," she finally said. "So I took out their leader, and then destroyed their league and some of their other 'businesses' later. That was just before my first Platinum Cup, so you probably already know the rest."

Lina offered her a soft smile. "I do. But I think that you are too hard on yourself. Even if what you have done is terrible, it matters more what you choose to do now, and I think that you are doing good. Are you still a bully?"

"Only if they know it's a joke and they don't mind," said Amelia. She flashed her best grin, despite the effort it took. She had to remain confident. "Or if they enjoy it."

Lina fanned herself with her hand and chuckled. "My, my, Amelia, you _are _dangerous. It seems like it's getting hotter in here."

"Must be your imagination," said Amelia, smirking.

"But if you took out their leader, then the last question gets even more important. Why revive it? Surely they're just painting a target on their back with that. Is this Jimmy trying to carry on the spirit of his predecessor or something?"

"His predecessor was his rival," said Amelia. "So I doubt that. And when I said I took him out, I failed to kill him. So he's still around, somewhere, and I reckon Jimmy's trying to send him a message. Like, 'come at me' or something like that."

"So you think this is about gang rivalry?"

"I doubt it. Why would Wickham be involved?"

"Perhaps Jimmy Three found out about the embezzlement?"

"Hell of a tiny thing to use that kind of leverage for, especially given they've been at each other's throats since forever."

Lina closed her eyes and leaned back. She said, "that's a good point. Maybe he thought he could gain advantage, but we still don't know enough. What's the name of the rival? Maybe if I do some digging, it could turn up another clue."

Amelia shuddered, her face contorting in disgust. She said, "Terry Pratt."

Lina looked at her quizzically. "Now _that's _a reaction. What happened?"

Amelia grit her teeth and glared at Lina with stony eyes. "I don't talk about it." She couldn't stop the images from flashing in front of her. Fire. Smoke. Blood. His breath in her ear and his hand in her hair. Her skin crawling.

Lina held up her hands, rocking backwards as if she were trying to melt into the couch. "Hey, no problem. A girl's got to ask, y'know?"

Amelia sighed again. It was becoming a bad habit. "I really didn't want to have to deal with this shit again."

"Hey, life sucks."

She stood up. "We should go. It's not much, but I know someone who might have some information."

* * *

Billy looked around and whistled. They had ascended the stairs to the first floor, whereupon they had emerged into a massive open-plan office. Desks and chairs with people working on computers were laid out in no particular pattern across the blue carpet, the tall windows letting in enough light that LEDs weren't needed. He could hear the clicking of keys, the whirring of printers and murmurs of hushed conversation. It smelled of coffee and paper.

He said, "sweet office. So what goes down here then?"

Sharon said, "this is the main area, where we do things like scoring and logistics. We have several affiliated arenas across the country, but upstairs are some location scouts on the look-out for more, as well as the media team's offices. You'll see those later."

"So what's downstairs?" asked Billy, pacing to an area in the corner of the room with a fridge and a counter and helping himself to the coffee machine.

Sharon followed him, though she didn't get a cup for herself. She said, "those are the licensing offices, and they're the last stop on our tour."

Billy thought that was smart. Take them to the main point of their visit last to make them listen to the boring stuff. He said, "so what actually happens when I get my license? Do I just get matched with my opponents automatically, do I get to choose, what?"

She gave him a bemused look. "Have you never watched the National League before?"

"Not recently enough to remember how it works," said Billy. Someone asked Sharon a question, and she turned away. He took the opportunity to pocket as many sugar sachets as humanly possible.

She turned back to him and said, "sorry about that. Right, as for how it works, just having a license isn't enough. You have to register yourself for the duelist pool, usually at the start of the season, and you'll tend to duel around twenty-five times during the regular season, so you'll be attending events most weeks. Of course, the duelist pool is massive, and there are several events every week, so it's impossible to duel everyone."

"How do you know who's the best then?" He took a swig of coffee, almost scalding his mouth. It tasted good.

"There's a flat rate of points for winning, and then our scorers decide on where to allocate bonus points for style, comebacks, things like that. Then the best performers all face off in a single-elimination play-off at the end of the season."

Billy almost smacked himself in the face, remembering a term from the manual he had read. "It's swiss. You're playing swiss over a period of months."

Sharon smiled. "Exactly."

"So how many people are in the National League?"

"About two hundred, give or take."

His mouth hung agape. Considering the popularity of the game and the population of the country, he had expected more. He said, "and how do the events work?"

"We usually have them on weekend days, though sometimes in midweek. A couple could be running simultaneously at other ends of the country, too, and they're all televised. Each event has ten duels on the card, though the ones we expect to be longer and more entertaining go higher up."

"Alright then," he said. "What about those shared event things? You know, with the Pro Circuit. How do I get to do that?"

She looked bemused. "Are you serious?"

He waved a hand at his face. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Become one of the top twenty in the world."

"Okay, and how would that be achieved?"

"Be one of the best in the country. And then be one of the best in Europe. Then, in the lucky event you get recognised, you _might _be able to duel against one of the low-rankers in the top hundred. Then you have to climb from Bronze, to Silver, to Golden."

Billy nodded. "Sounds doable."

Sharon smirked. "I hope that was sarcasm. It's rare for anyone to break into the top hundred, never mind make it to the Golden League."

He pursed his lips, resisting the urge to click his tongue. "But it can be done?"

"Yes," she said. "Provided that you're good enough."

"I am."

"What makes you so sure?"

He bristled, but left it. He wasn't sure. Something inside him was constantly telling him that it was impossible. He needed to ignore that voice. "Because I have to be," he said.

She furrowed her brow as she regarded him. "Why?"

"I promised someone," he said, hesitating. His mouth was drying out, so he sipped his coffee. "I said I'd meet them at the top."

"Why is it so important?"

He faltered. Why did she ask so many questions? Moreover, why did he feel the need to answer them? Why was it so important to him? He thought of who he'd been before meeting Amelia, before that tournament in the car park of Monster Hunters, and had to fight hard to keep his face impassive. He grit his teeth for a moment. He thought of who he was now, just three days later. It was like night and day.

He considered his words, wary of giving a part of himself to a stranger. He said, "isn't it natural to want to thank someone when they help you?"

"It is," said Sharon. "But most people just buy you a drink. Why try to deliver the moon?"

He looked away, feeling heat rising in his cheeks. "There are other reasons," he said. And there were. He wanted to beat her, for one. He couldn't tell why, but he figured it was his duelist's instinct shining through. She'd mesmerised him, and there had been joyful moments in their duel, even though in the end it had been bittersweet. She was amazing, and he had to match her. It was that simple.

He looked up to see Sharon staring at him. "Sorry," he said. "Lost in thought."

"I asked what the other reasons are," she said.

"Personal," said Billy. "Can we move on please?"

She gave a small smile. "Of course. Do you have any more questions?"

He sipped his coffee again. "Yeah, can I enter the duelist pool now or do I have to wait?"

She looked at him sideways. "You can, but what would be the point? It's not like you can achieve anything so close to the end of the season."

"I can get experience," said Billy. "That never hurt anyone."

"I suppose," she said. "We can get you entered on the way out. Are you ready to continue?"

He nodded, and she led him across the room to the next set of stairs.

* * *

A buzzer went off as they walked through the door. They were in a small antique shop, walls lined with shelves and glass cases and a counter at the other end. It was dark, and it smelled of dust. There was a door behind the counter, as well as a man running his gaze up and down Amelia with a lecherous grin. He was bald and fat, with a bulbous nose and yellowing teeth.

He said, "help you?"

She walked up to him, Lina close behind her, as if she was hiding. It was cute. She said, "I'd like to have a look downstairs."

The man's face hardened as he looked at Amelia, to Lina, and back at Amelia. "Password?"

"Tell Siobhan that the Underground Queen is here to see her," said Amelia.

"That ain't the password," the man said.

She smirked. "No. It isn't. But you should get her anyway."

He looked her up and down again, his grin returning. "And what's in it for me?"

She repressed a sigh. She couldn't blame him. She was an eleven out of ten anyway, and the motorcycle leathers just made her harder to resist. And while it was easier to wrap someone around her finger when they were more focused on her body than her words, that didn't mean she had to like it. She wasn't an object.

She said, "I won't break your arm."

He sneered. "From over there? Go right ahead, bitch."

She grabbed him by the collar and hauled him over the counter. He was heavy, but her feet were planted and she was stronger than she looked. Lina screamed. She threw him to the floor, watching with a cruel smirk as he stood, red-faced, and swung at her. She caught his wrist with ease and twisted his arm around his back, bending him over the counter and pushing on his elbow.

She leaned down and whispered into his ear, "so, you perverted little maggot, are you gonna do as you're told? Or will I have to break you?" She wrenched his arm for effect.

Lina stared at her, wide-eyed. "Amelia, what are you doing?!"

"Yes, Amelia," came a smooth voice from behind the counter, "what _are _you doing?"

Amelia looked up and threw the man to the floor. He scampered away. She said, "hello, Siobhan. You and me need to have a chat about the SGL."

A frown overtook a lined face in its early forties. Siobhan had narrow, suspicious eyes with crows feet, and a pinched mouth. She wore a pencil skirt and a blouse, her heels making it so that she didn't look short. She said, "that's been gone for years. You, of all people, should know that."

"It's back," said Amelia.

Siobhan's face dropped. "That's impossible. I have spies in the organisation, they would know."

"It's very possible," said Lina, alerting the other woman to her presence. "It's a different person this time."

Siobhan narrowed her eyes. "And who might you be?"

"Lina Janssen," she said. "Freelance journalist."

Amelia almost facepalmed. These were dangerous people, and Lina was just giving her name and occupation out? She might as well just start giving them business cards. "She's a friend," she said. "Don't worry, you won't end up in any stories."

Lina nodded. Siobhan, eyes still narrowed, stepped to the side and beckoned at the open door behind her. The two of them stepped around the counter and went through, Siobhan following and closing the door. They were in a small, dingy office with barely enough room for the desk, a chair behind it and two in front. There was a laptop open on top of it, and another door in the corner.

Amelia and Siobhan sat down, but Lina just pointed at the door. "What's in there?"

"Downstairs," said Siobhan in a clipped voice.

Lina sat down and stared at her across the desk. "And what's downstairs?"

Siobhan growled. Amelia said, "the site of the original Gladiator Duels."

Lina gasped. "You mean that people die down there?!"

Siobhan managed to laugh without smiling. "Lord, no! The duels are played with shock collars to simulate a real combat sport, but no-one ever dies from them. The worst we had was a scare because the idiot didn't tell anyone he had a pacemaker. We don't force people into it, either, unlike the SGL. Speaking of…"

Amelia said, "I'm guessing that you know as little as we do."

"This was the first I heard of it coming back," said Siobhan. "But it's awful news. They'll steal my business _and _my duelists."

Amelia nodded. "We don't know what they're up to, but they have money. A PlatCo executive is embezzling to fund it." It was basic psychology. She'd given information for free, and Siobhan would feel compelled to share anything she had. These people were funny about owing things to others.

Siobhan steepled her spindly fingers. "I can ask around my circles, and maybe send a couple of spies, but I can't promise anything."

"No problem," said Amelia, standing up. Lina followed suit. "Thank you, Siobhan."

Siobhan waved her away, and they went back out the way they had come. The fat man was back behind the counter, and he looked at Amelia as she passed. She looked into his eyes and grinned. He flinched. Her grin widened. She revelled in the fear of his kind.

They left the shop, the buzzer going once again, and approached the spot on the street she'd parked her bike. Lina said, "would you have really broken his arm?"

Amelia climbed on, removing a helmet from each handlebar and passing one to Lina. She put the other one on. She had thought about carrying them in, but who stole motorbike helmets? Especially in that neighbourhood: you didn't know who you were stealing from. She said, "of course not. It's way too much hassle, and people only need to think that you'll do it."

Lina blanched before putting on her own helmet and wrapping her arms around Amelia. "It's cruel. No offence, but I think I saw a little of the girl from the story there."

Amelia looked down at the slender arms around her midsection and half-smiled. It was a pleasant feeling. "You have to assert dominance with people like them. Honestly, I don't like fighting." She left out that it was because there were safer and more creative ways to hurt people. "But I'll do it if I have to. Besides, you could see what he was after just as well as I could. He needed to be taught a lesson."

Lina nodded, her chin digging into Amelia's shoulder as she fired the ignition and revved the engine. Lina said, "I won't argue. I was scared the moment I walked in. Men like that are the worst kind of creeps."

Amelia kicked up the kickstand. "Don't worry, I can protect you from people like that. So in return, do some of that super-hacking and find me a lead, okay?"

"I can do that. But make sure you give me a little warning the next time you're about to attack someone!"

Amelia chuckled as they pulled out into the road. "I'll try, but I promise nothing."

* * *

Despite the cool breeze running over his skin, Billy felt warm. The sensation had overtaken him from his arms to his legs to his gut to his face, and it had taken him a while to remember what the feeling was called.

He was happy.

He'd had to stop his mind from racing into the future during his bike ride, wary of a crash. As tantalising as it was to fantasise about himself bursting onto the scene, winning all of his duels and climbing to the top, rerouted concentration would have probably ended in broken bones. And at that point, fantasising would have been all he was capable of.

So he kept his focus until he arrived at his destination, resting his bike against the front window of Monster Hunters. There was no railing to lock it to, but the shop had cameras and it was a retail park, so he doubted anyone would risk it. Regardless, he couldn't really complain if somebody stole something from him that he had stolen in the first place.

He walked into the shop, and it was empty apart from the old woman behind the counter. Norma, she had been called? The emptiness would have been eerie if it hadn't been a Tuesday afternoon. He stopped just past the doorway, admiring the Duel Monsters models. He realised now that one of them was actually his new monster, Divine Dragon Knight Felgrand. Another, for some reason, looked like a character from an old History Channel show he'd caught the night before.

They really would make cards out of anything these days.

He approached the counter, where the old woman was standing with her back to him arranging a Vanguard display. "Alright," he said.

She turned and smiled, false teeth wobbling at the quick movement. "Oh, hello there love! Anything I can help you with?"

She sounded, well, old. Billy said, "er, is Tim here by any chance?"

"Oh, of course!" she said. "He's in the back. I'll just go and get him for you." She opened a door next to the display. It was so covered in posters he had never noticed it before. She disappeared inside and he waited, tapping his foot, until she reappeared a couple of minutes later with Tim behind her. His eyes were lidded, and every exhalation came out like a sigh.

Tim said, "afternoon, Billy. That was awfully quick for getting your hands on a spare two-hundred and fifty quid." He narrowed his eyes. "Did you rob someone?"

Billy stared at him. "No. No I did not. And I also don't have your money."

Tim stared back. "I'm knackered, mate, so if you need help buying, ask me mum, would you?"

Billy looked from Tim, to Norma, and back at Tim. "She's your mum?"

Tim sighed. "Does it matter? What do you want me, specifically, for?"

He shuffled on his feet. "Actually," he said, "I wanted to say thank you."

Tim pinched himself. "What for?"

Billy said, "you gave me a tab like you _knew _I'd end up being good for it. You didn't beat me when you had the chance, and instead you drummed a lesson into my head. Honestly, I'd been thinking about how much fun it was the entire time, but the part of my brain that learned to be cynical-"

"Isn't that most of it?"

"That part of my brain pushed it down. I was working against myself, and it wasn't until you made me realise what a moron I was being that I also realised how pointless my entire life had been until then. Until now. I have a pro license, I can actually go and get paid to do something that I love. Hell, I might even end up on telly. So..." He paused. "Thank you."

Tim tilted his head. "Are you trying to get me to raise the limit on your tab?"

Billy's face went red, and Norma swatted her chuckling son on the arm. Billy said, "fuck you too, Tim," and turned on his heel.

As he made for the door, he heard Tim shout, "oi, Billy!"

He turned and glared at the shopkeeper with his stoned eyes and his green polo shirt and his smug face. That was the last time he was ever trying to make friends.

Tim said, "you wanna come in the back for a bit of a smoke? You can tell me about the exam and all that. Did you meet Fred? How's he doing?"

Billy smiled before his face fell to confusion as he rounded the counter and joined Tim in the doorway. "Who's Fred?"

"Oh yeah," said Tim. "Forgot about the drama. The Guardian."

Billy palmed his face.

Tim smirked. "He's not changed, then."

"How do you even know that guy?"

They stepped through the door, and Tim shut it with a grunt of assent to his mother that he wouldn't get so stoned he fell asleep. Something about keys and stock takes. He said, "we went to university together."

"You're thirty-three?"

* * *

**ED1: Shinedown - Better Version**

* * *

**AN: **In case you couldn't tell by now, Amelia and Billy are equal level protagonists.

First off I need to apologise for delays: a week for me being ill and unable to work on the story, and the extra day because TLA and I are in different timezones and I was already passed out by the time he was available to beta read the chapter. Entirely my fault on that one guys, so sorry! I'm gonna move the release day to Sunday to make it easier to adhere to (and not clash with MOD), so tune in next Sunday!

So Billy is now a licensed pro, go him, and Amelia doesn't like emotions. She was also part of the SGL, and now we know what that is, but why's it back? Who knows? I mean I know, but of course I know.

So what did everyone think of this duel-lite chapter? They're a necessity, sometimes, but don't worry, we're back to the dueling action next week when Billy has his first professional duel! Amelia and Lina will also continue their investigation, and what will they discover? Find out next Sunday.

The usual shout-out for this story's beta reader and RealityVerse co-writer ThatLoneAvenger applies. Any opinions? Theories? Suggestions? Criticisms? Drop a comment or a review and let me know! Wanna get the latest releases as they come? Drop a follow! Otherwise, stay awesome folks.

**Trivia Corner  
**You may have noticed that the chapter titles are a little weird, as they are mostly styled as 'lessons'. Some of them are very relevant, some are barely relevant. Some aren't even in the same style. That was inspired by the naming scheme in _Gintama_, which is very similar.


	8. Lockdown Decks

**OP1: Dragonforce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**8: Lockdown Decks Were Made to Keep People Honest**

* * *

Billy stared at the idiot standing outside his front door.

"Hello," she said. She was short and chubby, with blonde curls down to her shoulders, glasses, and a blazer. "I'm here to talk about your duel on Sunday."

Wait, what? "First I've heard of it." He rubbed the back of his neck. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. "More to the point, who are you?"

"I'm your PR rep," she said, pulling something from inside her blazer and shoving it into his chest as she pushed past him.

He stumbled back into the wall. He'd only had his license for two days, but this felt like something that should have been covered in the induction. "You're also in my house."

She strolled over to his couch and plopped herself down, turning back to him. "It's not much of a house, though, really; you can barely even call it a flat. And why's it in a basement?" She looked around, then back at him. "Really, I expected better. Everything about this place is just so _shabby_, including its occupant. I figured with you being so eager to start and make a name for yourself, I'd have something to work with, but…" She looked at him with what he assumed was disappointment.

He could only see pound signs staring at him. They seemed to be getting smaller as she sighed and turned away. He looked at the plastic card he'd been holding: it was her ID. It had a little picture with her trying to smile, but she looked like she was trying to see the positive side of stepping in dog shit. Written next to that in four rows was _Michelle Burns, PR representative, English National League_. The PlatCo logo was in the top left.

She said, "aren't you going to make some tea?"

He twitched. "Tea is for guests. I don't remember inviting you in."

She sighed again, long and exaggerated. "And to top it all off, such a _wonderful_ host."

He rounded the couch so he could glare at her. "If the host has a responsibility to make tea, does the guest not have a responsibility to not walk in and start insulting the host? That is, if the guest doesn't want to forfeit their tea rights."

She coughed, and he could tell that she was trying hard not to sneer at him. "Just so you know, I could destroy your career before it even begins. Professional duelists are supposed to be role models, after all. Wouldn't want anyone asking questions about that dodgy past of yours, now, would we?"

He held the ID card out towards her. "You're a PR rep," he said. "Which means that your job is to deal with my public image, right?"

She snatched it from him. "Yes, that's exactly why-"

"So you get paid based on how well you do that job, right?"

She stiffened, and he breathed an inward sigh of relief. He'd been scared that he was wrong about the world. She said, "don't be ridiculous. That pro license of yours isn't just a little plastic card; it's a recognition from the Platinum Corporation that you're one of the best around. You're working under the endorsement of the company, and everything I do is in the company's best interest." She finished with a 'hmph'.

Billy raised an eyebrow. "The company that pays your wages."

"Yes."

"And being that I'm under the endorsement of the company, wouldn't it reflect badly on them if people started asking questions about my _dodgy past_?" Those he had met recently had been aberrations. In the end, people did things for personal benefit.

Michelle inhaled hard. "The Platinum Corporation is all about second chances, so people would look at it as normal! Then instead they'd look at you and wonder why you thought you had a right to be a pro duelist."

Billy smirked. He wasn't soft enough to sit there and take her abuse. "Wouldn't that make them hypocrites?" He was just as bad as everybody else.

She slapped her knees and glared at him.

He ignored her. Amelia had helped him, but she had a goal. She struck him as the sort of person who did nothing without a reason. But whatever those reasons were, they were beyond him, so he could only enjoy the result. Was he just playing along, like a good little pawn? He didn't know. He didn't care. As long as he was dancing the steps that he wanted, he'd do it to anyone's tune.

It was all about personal benefit, after all.

Michelle sighed again, catching his eye and trying to grin. She looked like something from a slasher flick. "Um, okay, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot."

"Really?" said Billy. "Couldn't tell."

"Could you sit down, please?" she said through gritted teeth. "We do actually need to discuss your upcoming duel."

He sat as far away from her as he could, almost on the arm. "What about it? You want me to do press appearances or something?"

She giggled. "Oh, lord no. No-one has any idea who you are! They might interview you before your duel because it's your debut, but that's usually easy."

He shrugged. "What else does a PR rep have to deal with?"

"Plenty. Transport, accommodation, sponsorships…"

"Isn't that a manager?"

Her face fell, and she twitched her nose in disgust. "Apparently, 'PR rep' sounds friendlier. Less controlling." He looked at her. She'd probably _love_ to be in complete control of his life. Keep your friends close, and your cash-cow closer.

"Alright, well… I don't even know anything about the event."

"Ah, yes," she said, pulling a tablet from inside her blazer. He wondered how big her pockets were. "The show is on Sunday, it starts at twelve and finishes at seven-"

"These things go on for seven hours?"

She tilted her head, pressing at the screen. "People should get their money's worth from these shows, don't you think?" Translation, he thought: the more you make it look like value for money, the more they'll spend, and the closer I'll be to retiring to the Caribbean. "Though a lot only really show up around three or four for the later duels."

Well, at least he already knew why that was. Between that and the sugar supply, the induction had been semi-useful. "Well, where is it?"

She passed him the tablet. "I've loaded up your duel calendar on there. It's pretty bare at the moment, though; I'll send it to you anyway."

He looked at a calendar with a pale blue background. The characters and grid lines were black. There was a notification bar at the top of the screen, and it showed low battery. The box for the twenty-ninth had a pink highlight and a graphic inside it, so he pressed it. The screen changed, a page popping up telling him about the event: his opponent was Neil Charnock, and his duel started at midday. He was first up.

He handed back the tablet. "Alright, so if I'm on at twelve, then what time do I have to get there?"

Smiling, she took the tablet and replaced it in her blazer. "Don't worry about that, I'll sort it all out! It's my job, after all. You didn't register a phone number, but I can email you the arrangements once they're sorted."

He looked at her smile and knew instinctively that this woman would throw him under the bus at the first opportunity. "Great, thanks. Anything else?"

"Cup of tea?" she said, still smiling.

The cheek of it. "See you on Sunday, then?"

She stood up and walked to the door, half-laughing. "Worth a try." As she reached the door, she turned around and let her smile drop. "Just so you know," she said, "I do genuinely care about your burgeoning career."

Yes, he thought, because the better I do, the more you get paid.

She said, "and even though we had a rocky start, I think it's really important that we work together to make sure it takes off in the right direction."

Translation, he thought: I don't like you, but I'll tolerate you because that's best for me. So do as you're told or I'll make your life hell. He nodded and said, "I look forward to working together, then."

She smiled again. He had to resist the urge to grimace. She waved to him before opening the door and walking out, closing it behind her.

He sighed heavily and leaned back, running his hands down over his face. He decided that when something went wrong, as things inevitably do, Michelle Burns would be the first one he threw under the bus.

* * *

If you think about it, kindness is the ultimate form of selfishness.

Logically speaking, being kind is always the best decision. If you were to, say, help an old lady with her shopping, would she reward you? Maybe, maybe not. But if you helped a man fix his fence, he'd be more likely to do you a favour.

Discounting, of course, the possibility that he is just a dick, and therefore operating under a logically impaired mindset. In which case, you'd be well within your rights to smash the fence back down and tell him to fix it his bloody self.

But that's not the point. The point is that kindness is a desirable behaviour. Why? Because of the effects it has on _others_, thus making kindness most beneficial to a person when they receive it. So why does that make kindness selfish?

It's simple. Inspired by your actions, maybe the old lady buys a homeless man a coffee, and then maybe that homeless man does something for somebody else. Then they do something for somebody else, and round and around until you're a little old lady who needs help with her shopping, and along comes some strapping youngster to save the day.

Even though those probabilities are tiny, the more kindness a person receives, the more they tend to be inspired to give it out. So anyone can inspire others. You don't realise it because human perspective is so limited, but numbers don't lie. There are too many people, as many of them kind as unkind. Eventually, it comes back to you.

Some people call it karma.

And that's why Amelia always strove to be kind. She made sure her fans were well looked after. If she could, she'd help somebody who needed it. When she was in disguise, she held doors for people (as herself, she never had to touch a door). When she had been younger, she had toyed with people. Some she had crushed, and some she had made dance until their legs fell off. But her reputation now was of kindness, of a benevolent dueling Queen who adored her fans and respected her opponents.

Fat lot of good that did her.

She leaned her head back and growled. Lina peeked over her laptop from the sofa across from her. She said, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," said Amelia. She looked at her bookcases. There wouldn't be an answer there, would there? Despite the karma of probability, she didn't have enough resources. There was her, Lina, and a snake-woman who was just waiting for an advantage. "We need more people."

"Why?" said Lina, typing with her legs folded underneath her. "I've finished Terry's profile, but it's a little harder for Jimmy Three. His digital footprint is a lot shallower. Shouldn't take me long, though, and then you have your friend's ear to the ground."

"She's not my friend," said Amelia, standing up and pacing around the back of the couch. "And that's exactly it. You can make digital profiles, and Siobhan can tell us what she hears of what's happening, but you can't find everything over the internet or through word of mouth. We need to talk to people who are closer, who know more."

She tilted her head. "Why can't you do it?"

She gestured at her face. "I have a reputation to think of. And besides, if I use myself for every little thing, I just end up in more danger than I need to be. Would you send the general to a skirmish?"

Lina raised an eyebrow. "You're a general now? Are we an army?"

They couldn't be an army; she had no troops. "No," she said, frowning. "We're a group of concerned citizens with too much concern and not enough citizens."

She put a hand to her forehead. "So how do we acquire more citizens, ma'am?"

Chuckling, Amelia jumped back over the arm of the couch and landed lying down. Her skill and her drive had taken her to the top, and that had bought her fame. But her fame and her kindness had bought her a reputation, one that ensured somebody would always listen to her. She smirked.

"That's easy," she said. "We call the police."

* * *

As it turned out, his PR rep hadn't thrown him _under _the bus.

She'd thrown him onto one.

"Why a Megabus?" Billy said to himself, looking out over the empty grey terminals of Victoria coach station. Behind him was a low building with metal benches and overpriced shops. In front of him was a blue and orange monstrosity.

It was a rickety double decker with an engine that sounded like the cough of a dying horse. The windows were stained and streaky, and the driver looked like he'd died twenty years ago and the bus had claimed his soul. On the front, between the two levels, was a sign in orange letters which read _Blackpool_. Might as well have said the back end of nowhere.

"I could have booked a Megabus myself," he said, stepping off the kerb. He breathed in the smell of morning. It smelled of petrol and cigarettes and stagnant piss. "What's the point in the PR rep then?"

He got on the bus, glad to be rid of the station. It was eerie so early. Empty. The flashes of wind were like the whispers and caresses of spirits. But otherwise, silence. No sound but his own thoughts and eventually, his bus. The first of the day. He showed his ticket to the driver and went upstairs, paying no attention to the horrible orange and blue decoration. There were several rows of seats in pairs on each side. A few of the pairs faced each other across plastic tables. Billy strode straight to the back.

There was a black lump a couple of rows in front of him. He leaned back, shrugging off his coat. At least it was warm. "Blackpool," he said to the lump. "I mean, the clue's in the name, innit?"

The lump said nothing. Billy sighed. Silence but for his thoughts, then. He yawned. "Half bloody five," he said. "Four and a half hours of the inside of a Megabus. This is dastardly, this is. I'm even talking to myself. I'm being infected by the madness of the Megabus."

The lump shifted and turned to face him. It was a man in a hoodie, the hood failing to hide his floppy hair and a chin that could probably cut diamonds. He said, "are you alright, mate? You do know you're talking to yourself?"

"Well, obviously," said Billy. "If even I'm not listening, then what's the point of saying anything?"

The lump considered this for a moment before turning back around. Billy tugged at the collar of his t-shirt. He said, "so where are you headed, this early in the morning?"

"Wherever the wind takes me," said the lump in a groggy voice.

"Must be nice," said Billy. He could imagine himself living on the wind. Free. Unburdened by where he'd been or where he was going.

An uneasy silence developed before the lump finally said, "what about you?"

Billy thought for a second. "To a new beginning," he said.

"That sounds like the last line of a really shit film," said the lump, scoffing before promptly going back to sleep. Billy could hear faint snores from him.

Ah, well. He only had a lifetime of taking and being taken from to look back on. Though he did have something to look forward to. For the first time, he saw something tangible when he looked. Something that didn't match the fetid scenery of his past. That was the thought he'd been avoiding.

He knew what would happen if he lost. He'd been there before. But what if he won? What if he _kept _winning? What would he do after he made it all the way to the top, and looked at her from equal footing? The scar on her face. Her wry smile. Her air of mystery, and the way she flirted to hide how she felt.

He wanted to understand. Why she had reached out to him and shown him better, why she was the person she was. _Who _she was. But how? Could he really understand another person if he didn't understand himself? He knew who he'd been before. But that person had been left behind like shed skin, and he hadn't found a mirror yet.

He scrunched his nose. Who was he supposed to be? He didn't know; nor did he know who he wanted to be. But he had to be _something_.

Could he be like her? Kind, and personable, and charitable. He had no idea what he'd do with the kind of money that came with the Golden League. He could definitely give some away. Personable, however, was something he would never be. He'd see about kindness. He was still wary of it.

Could he change the world? Never. He could inspire people, he supposed. With his dueling. Was that what he was supposed to do? He thought of his cards and smiled. It felt right. He could prevent people from making his mistakes, and show them a better path.

The first step would be today. He'd win, and do it with style. He'd throw his soul on the field and let that do the talking. He'd aced the licensing exam, so what did he have to fear? He would overcome the odds and inspire.

He unscrunched his nose and gazed out of the grimy window, idly realising that the Megabus, despite its many flaws, did at least have Wi-Fi, and thus the relationship was saved.

He loaded up a movie on his duel disk, an old car film with Vin Diesel and John Cena. He turned it off after ten minutes and joined the lump in sleeping.

* * *

He had to walk. He didn't know what he'd been expecting, but it wasn't a surly set of directions from a coach driver. Forget throwing her under the bus, he was about to start throwing buses _at _her.

The coach station in Blackpool was more reminiscent of a car park. There was an actual car park, much bigger than the 'station', next to it. On the other side was a joke shop and a street leading into what presumably passed for suburbs in Blackpool. He left the glorified car park and turned left, passing the real car park before crossing a road and walking past a large arcade and a McDonald's.

From there, the street was cobbled, and lined by various businesses. There was a reasonable crowd, some jostling, some strolling. Some were standing and chatting, or on their phones. All contributed to the hubbub. As he walked, he could see replica duel disks as well as real ones, and heard snaps of duel-related conversation.

He turned a corner down another cobbled street to see an imposing blue-and-white building at the end. It said _Winter Gardens _across a giant arch in the middle. He couldn't see the sides. He walked up to it, hands in the pockets of his jeans. He could smell cooking food and the sea. He could hear low chatter coming from around the corner fifty feet to his left, while in front of him a large set of double doors stood open, two men in suits standing on either side. They were both big and vaguely cubic, with wires running out of their ears.

"Hold it," said one of the cubes as he approached. "ID?"

Billy pulled his wallet from his jeans and produced his license.

"Who's your rep?" said the other cube.

"Michelle Burns," said Billy. Did he _have_ to go through all this?

Cube #2 said something into his earpiece. Cube #1 stepped aside and gestured through the door. There was noise coming from inside. He said, "wait inside."

Billy stepped into a foyer with a marble floor and a big round desk on the right wall. There were a few people milling about, mostly in suits. It was cool and it smelled fresh. There were rows of padded chairs along the walls, and a big screen hanging on one of them. Several doors dotted the walls, and he would bet his deck that one of those doors contained his worst nightmares.

His fears were confirmed when Michelle Burns walked through the door across from him, where he was standing a few feet inside the entrance. She walked up to him and huffed. "You got here okay, then?"

"Yep, fine," he said. "Just out of interest, who pays for all that?"

She smirked. "The company has a budget allocated for it. PlatCo looks after everyone under its banner, including the duelists."

What was she, some kind of corporate propaganda robot? "Megabus and a stroll? I don't feel very well-looked after."

She chuckled, eyeing him over the rim of her glasses with the kind of condescension only attainable by those in public relations. "Well, that's natural. Do you really think they'll splash out on luxury for such a..." She sniffed. "_Rookie_?"

He licked his teeth. He remembered reading Animal Farm in high school. Some were more equal than others, indeed. "I'm not asking for luxury," he said. "Just something that doesn't have matchsticks for a suspension."

She waved her arm in a come-on gesture and walked back towards the door she'd come through. He sighed and followed her. She proceeded to lead him through a maze, chattering about some scandal involving a duelist and a jockey. He lost track of the left and right turns before they finally reached his prep room. He got a prep room, apparently. It was plain, white and small, with room for a dressing table, a chair in front of it and a couple of stools behind that. Everything was disgustingly white.

"Alright," said Michelle, backing out of the door. "If you need anything, there are staff down the hall and to your left. I'll come and get you when it's time to start." She closed the door with another of her fake smiles.

Billy pulled a ham and cheese sandwich wrapped in clingfilm from his inside pocket, unwrapping and biting into it. From the same pocket he pulled a small cardboard packet.

It was time.

He emptied the packet onto the dressing table. Ten Duel Monsters cards fell out, face-down. He had spent the best part of a week deciding what was best to leave in his deck and what to take out, and what to add. But he'd grown attached to his cards. He'd spent nights realising new ways he could combine them.

He had been sitting with Tim, in his office in the back of Monster Hunters. It was narrow and cluttered, a filing cabinet next to the desk against the wall. There were two chairs in front of the desk, which housed a computer, a surveillance monitor and several loose sheets of paper. There were no windows.

Smoke had filled the air, along with a sweet smell. Billy had passed the joint to Tim, who had produced a cardboard packet from his pocket.

"Know what this is?" he had said.

Billy shrugged. "Pack of cards?"

"Not just any pack of cards," said Tim, holding it aloft. "This, mate, is a wholesaler's pack."

Billy furrowed his brow. "A what now?"

Tim grinned. His eyes were red. "The stuff that dreams are made of, mate! How do we think we get all those single cards to sell, hm? Obviously I buy some off people, but as for the rest, I'm not just ripping through boxes and seeing what I get. And when you order singles wholesale, you get a discount for buying more. Hence the packs."

"Sounds like a cheat code," said Billy.

Tim nodded. "It is. That's why it's a prize for only the greatest of achievements."

Billy raised his eyebrows. "And what achievement is that?"

His voice took a solemn edge. "Billy Blake, you have defeated the shopkeeper."

"Technically you let me win," said Billy.

"You have defeated the shopkeeper," Tim repeated. "And I am therefore honour-bound to offer you this at cost price."

Billy scoffed. "You know I don't have any money."

"Then I'll put it on the tab," said Tim.

"How much?" said Billy.

"Fifty."

Billy sputtered. That was almost a box. But then again, ordinary packs worked on luck. "Is what's in there worth that?"

Tim shoved it towards him. "I ordered it with you in mind. It can't hurt to have an upgraded deck for the League."

Billy narrowed his eyes. Having a respectable pro duelist as a frequent customer was a definite plus for publicity. It had worked, too; he already couldn't think of frequenting anywhere else. Now he just had to work on the 'respectable pro duelist' part.

He took the pack from Tim and opened it. He whistled. Some of the individual cards were worth fifty or a hundred pounds on their own. Maybe more. They'd all make his deck function better.

"Cheers, Tim," he had said as Tim passed the joint back to him.

He inserted the last three cards into his extra deck. He'd replaced a couple in his main, but the additions to his extra were the real gravy. He was ready. All he had to do now was wait.

* * *

She was ready. She went over the checklist in her head. She had to seem genuinely scared. That was a check, she thought, because she was. She couldn't seem too clever or too dangerous, because then he'd start asking uncomfortable questions. And she couldn't give too much away, because then he'd freeze her out. She imagined them trying to catch Jimmy and Wickham without her, and snorted. Then she imagined them trying to catch _her_. Neither scenario ended well for the police.

She was sitting with her cheek leaning on her hand, in a small grey cube with a barred window and a steel door. She was in a straight-backed chair at a steel table, with another two chairs across from her. It smelled stale and dry.

The door opened, and a man in a worn brown suit walked through. He was thin, his hairline receding almost to his ears, and he had a stubbly goatee flecked with grey. But he carried himself with an air of compassionate authority, and Amelia smiled. "Hello," she said.

He closed the door with a grating click before pulling out a chair and sitting across from her. "Hello," he said. "I'm Detective Inspector Thomas Mackie." He stuck out a hand. "I hear you have something to report."

"I do," she said, taking his hand and shaking it. He had a firm grip. Hers was just as firm. "But why the interrogation room? I'm surprised you haven't whipped a tape recorder out."

He pressed his lips together. "How do you know what an interrogation room looks like?"

He was fishing; it made sense. She made a face. "I watch movies." She had taken great pains to hide the darkness in her past, and cultivated her reputation so that it could help her in moments like this. But it had left gaps.

He held out his hands as he assessed her. "Reports are supposed to be anonymous. So we bring you here." He clapped his hands together. "So!"

She had been hurried through the station with little fuss. She'd barely been noticed, and then they'd put her in the room and said, "wait here." The police were effective on the anonymity front, at least.

But she didn't like his eyes. They drilled into her, and she felt tension rising in her stomach. Had he seen her flinch? Her fingers twitched. Steely-grey, with shards of blue. She would never forget them. They were the eyes of a man who had already seen right through her.

"So," she said, smiling, "do you have any knowledge on local gangs? That would be a good start."

"Some." He ran a hand over his scalp. "I've been around. More importantly, do you? If so, how? And what do you mean by a 'good start'?"

"I have knowledge on Harry Wickham meeting with a gang leader." There was the hook. Hopefully it was enticing enough to distract him from the _depth _of her knowledge.

He smiled and leaned forward. "Harry Wickham. As in the PlatCo executive?"

"The very same," she said.

He made a noise halfway between a chuckle and a huff. A chuff. "So Wickham's given them contracts as corporate freelancers and convinced them to change their ways. Lovely, CID can take a day off."

She resisted the urge to frown. "It's something more sinister than that."

He propped his elbows on the table and linked his fingers in front of his face. "And how do you know that?"

"I have a friend," she said. "She's good with computers. She can connect the two."

"You might want to tell your friend that hacking is illegal."

"I tried; didn't take."

"Sounds like a troublesome friend." He pointed at her. "So who's the gangster?"

Another trap. "Apparently he's called Jimmy."

Mackie's eyes widened. "Jimmy, eh. He's been quiet of late. Seemed like he was planning something." He stroked his goatee. "But bringing Wickham into it, why? It'd have to be something big. And more importantly, _apparently_?"

She smirked inwardly. She'd thought that he'd forgotten. "I have a friend who used to know him."

He narrowed his eyes. "What interesting company our champion appears to keep. Hackers and gangsters, apparently, or in my experience the gateway to exactly the kind of sordid secrets a celebrity wouldn't want found out." He smiled, and she smiled back, fighting the urge to flinch. He said, "I should rather like to meet some of these friends of yours, one day."

She narrowed her own eyes. She was playing a dangerous game, and she knew the stakes. It could destroy her. "I'm very serious when it comes to protecting my friends. Especially their privacy." It wasn't a complete lie; she considered herself her own friend. She wasn't a good one, but it was herself or nothing, so friends needed to be protected. She thought of Lina wearing shackles in a courtroom. She shuddered. Never.

Well, maybe not never on the shackles.

Mackie held up his hands with raised eyebrows. "Okay, I won't ask about your friends. You should be careful though, those kinds of dalliances are how scandals are born."

She stared at him.

He coughed. "Okay, so what's the link between them?"

The unpredictable part came next. She hated this part. "Bank transfers, Wickham to Jimmy, three over the last week. All with the same label." She hardened her expression. "SGL."

His jaw hung agape. "SGL? As in the Southwark Gladiator League?"

"The very same," she said.

"The one that was annihilated four years ago?" he said. "By a beast so terrible no-one could ever remember a thing?" He stared at her as his lips parted.

"I'd imagine so."

He continued staring at her in silence, and she stared back. His eyes were hard and sharp, and she could feel them digging into her soul. She gave no ground, calling on the intensity she knew was there. It was in the darkness. She was clever. And she was _powerful_. She could twist people around before they knew what was happening and laugh as it tore them apart.

But she was better than that.

She stared deeper into Mackie, and saw how much he cared. About his job, about the world. About the pains of others.

She didn't need to twist people into knots; just around her finger. Just enough that they would do the right thing when it mattered.

Mackie continued staring at her. She could feel heat spread across her forehead. He said, "d'you know what the great thing about killers is? I mean, given that killers don't tend to have that many great qualities, it seems pretty obvious."

"What's that, then?" she said. Her eyes were beginning to itch. She couldn't let up, she could see him faltering too.

"The look in their eyes." He pointed at her eyes, putting his index and middle fingers too close. Unflinching, she lifted her left hand and shoved them aside. Mackie said, "it's always the same. One look, and you know. You can see the empty space where a part of their soul withered and died."

"Like you don't have the same look," she said.

"I'm a police officer," he said, trying not to blink. "All the things I do are in the name of justice and the law, even if I must deeply regret them later."

"So it's justified," she said, almost spitting at him. She clenched her fist. "By your cause. But you don't know me. And you don't have the first fucking idea what I've been through."

He opened his mouth, but she put a finger over his lips. He looked affronted. Oh well. "They raped me," she said, her voice trembling. The tremble was only half-staged, but she had to push through it.

"More than once," she said, shuddering. "They made a _prize_ out of me. I found out what helplessness really feels like, over and over again. Nobody deserves that." She saw him read the meaning she'd placed between the lines, and he looked away. Finally. She took her finger off his lips.

He looked at his hands, spread on the table, and said, "but what did that make you _do_, Amelia?"

She stared harder, feeling him shrink beneath her. Maybe he felt judged, or maybe guilty for judging her. She said, "it made me get over it. Slowly, and painfully, and never really enough that I don't flinch at loud noises. Or wake up sometimes still smelling their breath, so don't you fucking judge me!"

He sighed and looked at her. "I'm not judging you," he said. His eyes were honest, and she saw how much he cared again. His commitment to helping. How best to use him. "But I do need more information. A few illegally-accessed bank transfers isn't any kind of evidence."

She chuffed. "I thought gathering evidence was a detective's job?"

"It is," he said. "But you're intelligent enough to make me think, just for a second, that I can trust you, so you should have no problem finding a bit of evidence. Get your friends to help you."

She smirked as she stood up. "Can't handle it alone, can we?"

He sniffed. "Of course we could. But if someone capable offers to do my job for me, why should I say no?" He held out a hand.

She shook it, giving a broader smile. She made sure to show her teeth. She didn't care about looking dangerous now: he was hers. He looked into her eyes and returned the smile, albeit sheepishly. He looked away quickly.

"Goodbye for now, Miss Danforth," he said.

His eyes held admiration. It was one of the reasons she hated telling people; they always looked at her like that. He could never see all the parts of her, or he'd be broken. "Bye for now, Detective Inspector." She walked through the door and turned down a musty corridor.

So he'd be dyed fully in her colours once she produced irrefutable evidence of a sinister plot? Excellent. Leashing the police service opened an amalgam of possibilities. The problem was the evidence. The solution? Well, it was Saturday evening, so it was time to go to a party.

* * *

"Showtime," said Michelle, patting down the collar of his coat. "Do you _have _to wear that thing?"

He slapped her hand away. "Shabby is my aesthetic," he said. He had been led through another maze of turns before arriving in a tiny alcove with dim stage lights and a black curtain drawn over an opening in the back wall. He steadied his breathing as he checked the fastenings of his duel disk. Nice and tight.

He had to put on a good show. And win. The place wouldn't be anywhere near full, but he had to make it so that people who didn't attend felt like they had missed out. That was the first step that he needed.

He could feel sweat dribble down his neck. He inhaled deeply. Michelle tilted her head at him and said, "ready?"

"As I'll ever be," he said, positioning himself in front of the curtain. At least she was invested in his success. Even if she was likely to plunge a knife into his back.

He stared at the black fabric and counted as he breathed. In through the nose, and out through the mouth: _1,2,3… 1,2,3… _He had to believe in himself, that he wouldn't trip over. They had asked him to choose entrance music. In the circumstances, there had only been one choice. He nodded his head as the first notes were blasted out by speakers beyond the curtain. Even muffled, it was deafening.

"Rising up, back on the street..." he sang before pushing through the curtain, unfolding his arms upwards as he did so.

There was an aisle in front of him, surrounded by rows upon rows of removable chairs. They were red, with thick padding. Two thirds were empty. He put his arms down and took a step down the red carpet of the aisle. The room was massive, the size of a few hundred duel fields. He could smell the humidity. The music and chatter echoed, and lights hung from the ceiling.

A few were on him as he walked, but most were aimed at the raised platform in front of him. Five feet high, probably twenty long and ten across, with a set of steps at either end. He approached a side with a multitude of monsters painted on it, and the logo for the National League.

He controlled his breathing and focused on the walk. Never mind the balconies full of seats above him on all sides, more occupied than the ones on the floor. Never mind the air of excitement and anticipation. He had to focus.

_Focus_.

He tripped over.

Thin air had been his enemy, and it had prevailed. He scrambled back to his feet, his heart trying to compose death metal beats, and turned as he reached the stage. He ignored the titters and the whispered buzz, as well as the curious stare of the man standing waiting for him. Something probably should have hurt, but it didn't. He climbed the steps.

There was a duel field painted in the centre of the stage, a large middle-aged man standing on the other side. He had thick brown hair and a fuzzy beard, and wore a striped orange shirt with chinos. Billy stopped at the edge of the field.

He activated his duel disk and said, "let's do this."

His opponent smiled, doing the same. "I'm Neil Charnock, in case you weren't aware. And I know all about you, Billy Blake."

Did he? Well, that was flattering. Though it was probably meant to be intimidating.

"I asked for this duel, you know. Figured I'd show you how the Pro League _really _works."

Billy eyed him as his music cut off. He was about to say something, but he was interrupted by a booming voice over the speakers.

"_Ladies and Gentleman, we're live at the Winter Gardens to bring you the first match of today's National League event!_"

The crowd cheered, and Billy fought back a sigh. Couldn't they just get on with it?

The voice said, "_I'm your commentator, Matt Hammond, and with me today for analysis is former Silver League duelist, Joe Mepham!_"

"_Thanks for having me_," said another voice with a hint of a Lancashire accent. "_Hopefully we get to see something spectacular for the curtain raiser._"

"_Hopefully, indeed. So who's ready for a duel?_"

The crowd cheered again. It echoed explosively off the walls, and he wondered how loud it would have been if the place was full. After a while it died down to a hush before Hammond's voice boomed across the room again.

"_So introducing our duelists, the first is a man whose qualification for the play-offs already seems assured! Word has it that he asked for this duel, but for what purpose? We'll find out! Ladies and gentlemen, Neil Charnock!_"

Neil grinned and turned back and forth, waving at the cheering crowd. He held a fist in the air. They cheered harder.

"_And the second, a man who came from nowhere to upset the balance of this season's run-in! Can he upset the odds today, too? Ladies and gentlemen, in his first ever professional appearance, Billy Blake!_"

Some of the crowd clapped and cheered. Billy stuck his right hand up and immediately pulled it back down. Someone shouted at him not to fall over again. He rolled his eyes.

"_Without further ado, are our duelists ready?!_"

They both nodded, staring at each other.

"_Then it's time… to…_"

"Duel!" they both shouted, though Billy almost missed the cue.

**Neil: 4000  
****Billy: 4000**

The turn order had been decided prior, and Neil was going first. They both drew their opening hands and he said, "alright then, I'm gonna start with a little spell card called Card Destruction! We both discard our entire hands, and draw as many as we discarded." They both put their hands in the graveyard and drew, Billy taking five and Neil four. "Next I'll set a monster." A hologram of the card appeared horizontally in front of him.

"And now here comes the money! I activate my field spell, Savage Colosseum!" Columns of stone arches surrounded the stage, platforms separating its levels. The top was crumbling, and a dark purple mist permeated everything. "With this, every monster that can attack, has to. We gain three-hundred life points each time one of our monsters attacks. And any attack position monsters during the end phase who _haven't_ declared an attack are destroyed!"

"_And from the first turn, Neil has already laid down his signature field spell, forcing monsters to battle! Will Billy be able to handle his style?_"

Billy clicked his tongue as Neil said, "and I'll also activate my continuous spell, Gravekeeper's Servant!" A dark figure with bat-like wings and a scythe took flight above them. "Now you have to send one card from your deck to the grave every time you declare an attack!"

"_What a punishing combo! What do you think, Joe?_"

"_Well, the Colosseum forces him to attack, so there's no way to keep his resources safe from the effect of Gravekeeper's Servant. Billy's not even played a card yet, and he's already in trouble._"

"_Trouble, indeed!_"

Neil smirked. "I end my turn."

"Then it's mine," said Billy as he drew. Neil had set up his graveyard nicely, but he figured that he should feel his way in. There was the spell card combo to worry about, after all, and whatever his set monster was hiding. But cautious didn't mean he couldn't be flashy.

"Since you control a monster and I don't," he said, "I'm allowed to special summon Lord Gaia the Fierce Knight from my hand!" A knight flew onto the field riding a black and gold dragon **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2300)**. The crowd oohed.

"_And Billy responds with a high-level monster straight out of the gates! But there's still something in its way!_"

Shut up, thought Billy. ""Lord Gaia, attack his face-down monster!" The dragon roared and swooped down at Neil's field.

"Don't forget about Gravekeeper's Servant! Pay a card from your deck!" The winged figure hovered in opposition.

Billy sent a card from his deck to the graveyard, and pointed Gaia forward. Gaia leaned off the dragon as it banked, stabbing at Neil's set monster. It flipped over, revealing a silver jar with one red eye and a toothy grin **(Lv. 2, DEF: 600)**.

"You attacked my Morphing Jar!" said Neil. "And when it's flipped, we both discard our entire hands and draw five new cards!" They both did so, and Morphing Jar shattered under Gaia's lance.

Billy twitched as the purple mist of the Colosseum flowed into him **(Billy: 4000 - 4300)**. He'd drawn five cards at the start, followed by five for Card Destruction. Then he had drawn, then Gravekeeper's Servant had taken a card. Then Morphing Jar.

He had twenty-three cards left.

He could already see what kind of day this was going to be.

Billy placed two cards into his duel disk. "I set two cards and end my turn."

"_And despite Billy's fearsome move, Neil remains unscathed!_"

Mepham's voice cut in. "_You can't call it fearsome, Matt, these two are obviously feeling each other out in the opening stages. That was a warm-up._"

"_More to come, then?_"

"_Definitely._"

Neil drew his card and laughed. "Playing it safe, eh? I'll help you with that: I activate the spell card One Day of Peace! We both draw a card, and then neither of us takes damage until the end of your next turn!" A flaming lamp materialised between their sides of the field as they both drew a card.

"_And Neil has locked him down! He can't deal damage, but he must attack! And when he does, he loses a card from his deck!_"

"I set a monster and two more cards," said Neil. "I end my turn."

"Who's playing it safe?" said Billy. He needed to be more aggressive now. "It's my turn! I activate one of the cards I set last turn, the ritual spell Super Soldier Synthesis!" A singularity formed above his field. "I tribute the Beginning Knight in my deck and the Mystery Shell Dragon in my hand!" Apparitions of the two monsters appeared, being sucked into the expanding singularity.

As the void began to take form, Billy said, "soldier of chaos, resurrect thy superhuman form through power of sacrifice!" The darkness finally settled on a blue-armoured warrior **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**. "Soldier of universal law: Black Luster Soldier - Super Soldier!"

A roar went up as his monster appeared. "_Throwing caution to the wind, Billy has cleverly used a set spell for a ritual summon!_

"And now," said Billy, "the effect of Beginning Knight activates! Since he was used for the ritual summon of a Black Luster Soldier monster, that monster gains some extra effects! The first being that he can banish one card on your field!"

The spirit of the young warrior superimposed over Super Soldier for a second before he slashed a rift through the air, swallowing up Neil's monster. The image of a worm flashed before disappearing. That one had to score him points. The crowd seemed appreciative.

"And I might not be able to do damage," said Billy, "but I can still attack and avoid losing my monsters to your Savage Colosseum! Lord Gaia, attack directly!"

The dragon-riding knight reared, but Neil shook his head. "Didn't think this through, did you? I activate the quick-play spell, Book of Eclipse!" A red book with an ornate cover formed within the mist. "Both of your monsters are flipped face-down, and then during the end phase they'll be flipped back up, and you get to draw a card for each one!"

He twitched again as the commentator started speaking. "_And after putting him between a rock and a hard place, Neil introduces a wrecking ball to the equation!_" His monsters disappeared, replaced by horizontal holograms of the card backs.

Neil chuckled. "Once this resolves, you'll have nineteen cards left in your deck: less than half. I told you, didn't I? I was gonna show you what this is about. The next part, I'm only saying once: don't underestimate the League!"

Billy heaved a sigh. "I end my turn."

"And during your end phase, the effect of Book of Eclipse resolves!" The book reappeared, the pages flicking across as his cards flipped over and his monsters reemerged **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2300) (Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**. He drew two cards. They would have helped if his turn hadn't been over.

Neil held up his palms. "And now, Savage Colosseum will destroy those two monsters!"

The purple mist invaded his monsters, and they began to grunt and swell. "_What a combo! As well as taking yet another two cards from his opponent's deck, Neil uses his field spell to his advantage! Billy's monsters couldn't attack while face-down, but now Savage Colosseum can target them anyway!_"

He watched as his monsters grew bigger and more grotesque before eventually exploding. He stared at Neil. Underestimating the League? He'd been focused only on producing the best duel he could, but obviously he had to kick it up a notch.

Next was where the real party started.

* * *

**AN: **I said the duel action would return. I didn't say it would be a _full _duel. But don't worry guys, because next time you get an action-packed double duel chapter (1 and a half, technically, but meh).

So here we have two people, on their own journeys, fighting to make something better. Or in Billy's case, fighting off the memories of the cursed coach that will forever haunt his nightmares. Thanks as always to ThatLoneAvenger for his tireless beta work (seriously, the story's pacing would be a mess without him), and remember to check out the other installations in the Realityverse!

Any constructive criticism is welcomed, and comments/reviews are kept in a heavy box which only comes out on special occasions. Please follow if you want to keep up with all the latest releases. Until next time!

**Trivia Corner:  
**Amelia's favourite author is Douglas Adams, and she grew up reading Hitchhiker's. As a result, she has an extensive collection of towels and an almost obsessive desire to prove that the entirety of reality could be extracted from a piece of fairy cake.


	9. It's Only a Conversation if You Listen

**OP1: Dragonforce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**9: It's Only a Conversation if You Listen While You Wait Your Turn to Speak**

* * *

Evolution, she thought, was a funny thing. The weak died, and the strong survived, getting even stronger until they evolved complex enough brains for civilisation to occur. Civilisation would then develop, coming together to understand each other's differences, and eventually decide that natural selection is actually a rather stupid way to run a society.

Humans, at the top of the food chain, had evolved beyond the spirit of the jungle. They had paved over it, and decorated their world with schools and hospitals and community centres. They didn't step on the weak. They helped them.

What a shame it was all a big fat lie.

The evolutionary tree was tall, and had many branches, so maybe some could be forgiven for not climbing as high as others. Maybe. In the end, it came down to having the will to deny the animal brain that still existed in everyone. Most people, it seemed, didn't possess it.

Every cross-section of their society had a hierarchy: winners, and losers. The winners were those with money, and power, those who had become successful. Usually by taking advantage of the losers, who were only really losers because the winners said that they were.

She was a winner. She was at the top of the food chain now, and being the apex predator had its perks.

She rode her bike around a massive fountain carved like a lion, and parked in one of several loose rows of expensive-looking cars in front of the mansion. It was four stories high and wider than a ravine, with ornate fenestrations and naked grey stone smoothed by time.

She turned off the engine and dismounted, removing her helmet. She could smell flowers. She took her bag from under the seat and wandered over to the front double-doors, where a small crowd had gathered. There were two men with suits and bow ties, holding tablets. A few members of the crowd looked at her oddly, and she smiled. They looked away. She gave her name to the suits, and entered the foyer.

It was low, and wide, another man standing just inside the doorway. The floor was marble, and the walls were covered in coats.

The man in the door smiled as she walked in. He was younger than the others, with a crinkle in his nose and soft brown hair. He said, "can I take your bag and your coat, miss?"

She smiled back. "Sure thing." She handed him her bag before unbuttoning her leather trousers and pulling them down. The man stared at her with a mix of horror and curiosity as she winked and straightened out the skirt of her black dress. It finished just above her knees. She pulled the trousers over her boots and threw them at the man, giggling as he blushed when one of the legs draped over his face.

She removed her jacket, revealing her sleeveless dress' high cut, and passed it to the man. She took her bag back. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll be keeping that." She fluttered her eyelashes.

He stammered, gesturing behind him with her leathers folded over his arm. "The main hall is through the door on your right, please enjoy your evening."

"I will," she said, stepping away and pulling an earpiece from her bag, placing it in her ear. It was tiny, and invisible. She tapped it. "I'm in."

"Good," said Lina on the other end. "Now make sure you act natural."

Amelia snorted. "How do I act natural when it's unnatural for me to come to one of these things in the first place?"

"Sit in a corner reading. Challenge Wickham to a game of chess. Just don't lose sight of him; this was your idea, remember?"

She sighed as she approached the door, hearing the hubbub from the other side. It was thick and wooden with a brass knob. It was already open. She stepped through, the noise and humidity assaulting her like a wave.

The hall was as tall as the house and as big on its own as a large detached property. There were balconies at all levels on three walls, their wooden railings shining under the light of an ugly white chandelier. They were decorated by banners, some saying _Well Done! _and _Congratulations! _in bright colours, but nothing specific.

Wickham took any excuse to throw a party. It could have been _Congratulations On Your First Murder! _for all he cared, it was still an excuse to display his plumage. If she recalled correctly, this one was something to do with quarterly returns.

She walked further in, leaving her corner behind. There were tables and chairs with frilly tablecloths arranged along the wall next to her, the rest of the hall a polished floor leading up to a stage at the other end. There was a band on the stage, dressed in suits and cocktail dresses and playing a woodwind version of an Imagine Dragons song.

She weaved through the tables, almost suffocating in the mess of people. It smelled of pastries and fruit and wine, though the musk of the assembled crowd began to undercut it. The middle of the floor was almost full with dancers and minglers, so she gravitated to a table at the side as long as the room. It was covered in food, from roast chicken to pies to Swiss rolls, with cute young men and women bringing fresh platters from hidden doors. She took three flutes of champagne from one of the platters as they passed.

She looked around as she downed one. There was a gaggle of PR reps a few feet up the table from her, standing and chatting. She had expected as much, given that Wickham's parties were open to anyone with PlatCo. Still, she hoped she didn't run into Alex. She didn't want to deal with _that_ right now.

There were a few people she knew. Duelists, mostly. She downed another flute and put her two empties on the table. She wasn't there to interact with anybody, thankfully; just observe.

"Can't see him," she whispered to her earpiece.

"You've been in there for a grand total of five minutes," said Lina. "Have you looked everywhere?"

She gazed at the balconies, with doors and corridors behind them. The double stairway at the back of the stage leading to the main balcony, and more corridors. The doors hidden in alcoves in the side walls. Then she looked at the scrum, the mass of sweat and social posturing. "Nearly," she said. "I need a better vantage."

Lina paused for a second. "Aren't there balconies?"

"Did you just pull a floor plan up?"

Harry Wickham emerged from the crowd further up the table, spotting her immediately and promptly dropping his jaw to the ground before reattaching it and grabbing his wife.

He walked up to her with a wide grin, shaking his head. "As I live and breathe," he said, turning between Amelia and his wife. "Our champion has _finally _decided to grace us with her presence."

His wife huffed. She was a little blonde woman with cunning eyes and a face like a lamb shank, wearing a revealing red dress that showed entirely too much of nothing. She said, "yes, almost like she thinks she's too good for your wonderful parties."

Amelia snorted, looking the woman up and down. She wasn't even in her league. "Don't kid yourself," she said. "I'm only here for the free food." She snapped up a sausage roll from the table and tore into it. Mrs. Wickham winced. She smirked, crumbs flaking off her lips.

Wickham's lips tightened to a line. "Yes, well. Do have a good time, won't you?" He walked back into the crowd, dragging his terrier wife with him.

"Don't worry, I will!" she called, diving into the crowd herself. "_That _was awkward."

"Again," said Lina. "Your idea. You want directions to a balcony?"

She dodged between some dancers, looking towards the stage. Wickham and his wife were standing in front of it with a few others. "No, not quite yet."

She exited the crowd with a gasp on the other side, catching the bemusement of a couple slow-dancing past her. People were starting to look at her and whisper, now. A few looked away in embarrassment, but some just kept staring. The first autograph hunters would be soon, she thought.

She looked to the side of the stage, seeing an alcove shadowed by a balcony, with a door leading to the courtyard. She walked over, snatching another drink, a pork pie and a chair on her way, and sat down. She faced the stage, and she could see Wickham and his wife talking with some of the PR weasels.

She had brought a book, but the alcove was too dark, so she took her duel disk from her bag and loaded up an e-book. Technology was wonderful. She spent twenty minutes reading about Harry Dresden's adventures as a ghost, one eye constantly trained on Wickham. He only moved away once, to talk to someone further back, and never left her sight.

Going missing for ten minutes during a party was the _perfect_ cover for fishy business, and she needed to know how he did it. She had to be alert to any suspicious characters, any times he disappeared into the bowels of the mansion - though she had Lina to help her with that. Nobody was using the courtyard, nor paying her much attention, and the hunters seemed to have lost sight of her. She could observe uninterrupted.

"Why have you brought your duel disk to party?"

Amelia didn't look up. "A real duelist, Ragnar, never goes anywhere without it."

Ragnar shook his head from the end of the food table, loading a paper plate with cocktail sausages and chicken. "Is this you implying that I am not real duelist?"

Her eyes flicked to Wickham. He hadn't moved. She looked at Ragnar, in a black suit that could have been used as a tent, with no tie. He'd even trimmed his beard. "At least you clean up nicely."

He chuckled. "Do not dodge this question, Amelia."

She smirked before sighing and throwing her arms out. "Maybe I expect too much from inferior duelists."

Ragnar gave an exaggerated gasp, putting a hand to his chest. "You think I am inferior?"

She looked at Wickham again. He was almost within earshot, talking to a tech engineer. She gave Ragnar her best condescending look before saying, "every duelist in this room is inferior to me."

A couple of people nearby sniggered, and a couple nodded. Ragnar stared at her with his mouth open wide. "This is adventurous claim!"

She smirked again. Dylan Mcbride sidled up next to Ragnar, eying her with the kind of contempt usually only available to scorned lovers. He said, "is she trying to make out that she's queen of the universe now?"

Ragnar leaned over to him. "Apparently we are all inferior to her."

Dylan stared at her. She chuffed and said, "well, you are! Hell, I challenge you to name one duelist in the _world _I wouldn't beat."

"Mike Harper," said Ragnar.

"Liam Carson," said Dylan at the same time.

"Ha!" she said, putting the duel disk in her lap and leaning her head back as she looked at them. "We'll have to make it happen then, won't we?"

Dylan raised his eyebrows. "What, really?"

"Duel them both for us," said Ragnar.

"Excuse me," said a smooth voice approaching them. "Am I hearing this right?"

She looked at Wickham as he stopped in front of the three, and kicked herself. Yeah, she thought, great idea. Draw attention to yourself. "Depends what you're hearing."

"You," he said, "claiming to be superior to every other duelist in this room."

The gears clicked, and she had an idea. A much less boring one. She stood up and stepped towards him, strapping her duel disk to her wrist. "Then you did hear it right. Why, looking to prove me wrong?"

Lina gave an aggravated sigh through the earpiece. "How did I know this would happen?"

Wickham sniffed. "As a matter of fact, I am. Shall we duel, my lady?"

She grinned. "It would be my pleasure."

He sent somebody to fetch his duel disk before climbing up on the stage and announcing that there was to be a duel in the courtyard. People began flooding out almost immediately. The main point of her visit was to ascertain how Wickham would play their game, and a duel gave her the perfect chance to ask him directly.

* * *

"I set a monster and another card face-down," said Neil, "and end my turn."

Wait, what? The crowd sat in silence, so severe that Billy could hear the drum of his own heartbeat. A set monster and a face-down, and _he _was the one doing the underestimating? He had no idea what Neil's game was. Well, decking him out, he supposed, but was there any greater purpose?

He could have asked the guy directly, but for some reason he felt no need to. Like he expected him to tell him himself. He wanted to know why he dueled. Why he did it like he did.

Was this what a duelist's spirit was supposed to be?

Maybe, he thought as he drew his card. Maybe he was going in the right direction. "Since you control more monsters than me, I can normal summon Arisen Gaia the Fierce Knight without tribute!" A blue horse with a horn galloped from the card, carrying a knight with two lances **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2300)**.

"_Another Gaia monster,_" said Hammond over the speaker.

"_They can be summoned without tribute,_" said Mepham, "_which makes them really useful in this situation. Billy needs a quick response._"

You don't say, he thought. He looked at Neil, whose face was a mask. He said, "one thing you didn't account for, mate, is the fact that putting monsters in my graveyard sets me up perfectly! I banish Envoy of Chaos and Super Soldier Messenger to summon Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning!" A blinding light overtook the field, and the crowd all shielded their eyes.

"_A blinder of a special summon!_" said Hammond. "_Billy Blake's really bringing out the big guns now!_"

The crowd cheered and whooped as the light receded to reveal the armoured warrior **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**. A few people in the front row looked vaguely affronted, but he'd remember their faces and be sure not to sign any autographs. He said, "and now, Envoy of the Beginning will attack your face-down monster! Beginning Chaos Slash!"

"_And straight for the jugular!_"

Neil watched as Billy's monster charged at his own. "Pay up!" he said, the winged reaper of Gravekeeper's Servant holding his scythe to block Billy's monster. Billy sent a card from his deck to his graveyard. Neil held a hand out over the field as his set card flipped over and said, "I activate a trap card: Ghost of a Grudge!" The crowd didn't cheer.

"_What a move! Neil's turned it around with a single card! What do you think, Joe?_"

"_Brilliant from Neil. Billy's asking questions, and he's answering them beautifully. Crowd seem to be getting restless, though, and Neil's style can be frustrating._"

_Questions_. Why did that sound so important? Neil said, "with this card, all of your monsters have their attack points reduced to zero!"

Billy watched as a pair of tubular ghosts invaded his monsters, causing them to glow **(ATK: 3000 - 0) (ATK: 2300 - 0)**. The Envoy slashed at Neil's set monster, which flipped to reveal a worm with a flaming forehead **(Lv. 3, DEF: 1400)**. The soldier was knocked back **(Billy: 4300 - 2900)**.

Neil had definitely answered a question. He'd told Billy that what he had wasn't good enough. Billy said, "but at the end of the damage step, I gain three hundred life points from Savage Colosseum!" The purple mist enveloped him **(Billy: 2900 - 3200)**.

He thought of how Amelia's every play had seemed designed to force a reaction. Of how easily Tim had read his dueling. For a moment, he thought about what it meant to be a duelist.

And that's when it hit him.

They had both thrown their souls out on the field, and that's where they were talking. Having their conversation. Except he wasn't listening, so it wasn't a conversation. He _had _underestimated the man. This wasn't a car park, it was the National League: he had to understand if he wanted to win.

But it was his turn, and he still had something to say.

"I activate my trap card, Chaos Circle!" A black and white magic circle formed around Billy's field.

"_And just like that, a trap card from Billy!_"

Shut up, thought Billy. "This card lets me tribute a light or dark-attribute monster and activate an effect depending on which one. I choose to tribute the dark-attribute Gaia, meaning I can special summon a light-attribute monster from my grave!" The circle got smaller, enclosing the horseman.

"_Smart card,_" said Mepham. "_With the permanent attack point loss from Ghost of a Grudge, those monsters are dangerous to keep out._"

"_Well, maybe not against this deck._"

He saw Neil twitch, and he shook his head. He said, "I'll special summon a monster you put there with all your milling: Black Luster Soldier - Sacred Soldier!" The magic circle erupted in shadows, eclipsing the knight before slowly becoming light. It grew brighter before receding, revealing a warrior in white armour with wings on the shoulders **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**.

The crowd cheered as Hammond said something irrelevant.

"And now my Sacred Soldier's effect activates! I return one of my banished light or dark-attribute monsters to my graveyard and banish one card on your side of the field! I return Super Soldier Messenger to my grave." He pointed at the continuous spell in front of Neil. "And I'll banish your Gravekeeper's Servant!" Sacred Soldier slashed the air, a wave of light engulfing and swallowing the spell.

The commentators got rather excited, as did the crowd. He was only focused on the duel. He said, "and it's still my battle phase, so Sacred Soldier will destroy your Warm Worm! Purifying Chaos Slash!"

The monster rammed its shield into the worm before slicing it apart. Neil smirked and said, "just so you know, when my Warm Worm is destroyed, it takes three cards from your deck with it."

The flames shot from its corpse, clawing at his deck. He sighed and put three cards in his graveyard. He was down to fourteen. "And I gain another three hundred life points **(Billy: 3200 - 3500)**.

"I set two cards and end my turn."

He ignored the commentators and stared at Neil as he drew his card. "I set a monster and two cards and end my turn," said Neil, throwing his entire hand onto the field. That had to mean something.

He could almost hear crickets over the silence of the crowd. To be fair to them, it wasn't an exciting style, but it was intriguing. And annoying. If he wanted to know what Neil was saying, he'd have to see what he was hiding.

He drew his card.

* * *

They were standing in the floodlit courtyard, paving surrounded by lawns and trees and a crowd of people. It was idyllic, really, but for the crowd.

"Duel!" shouted Amelia and Wickham.

**Amelia: 4000  
****Wickham: 4000**

"I'll go first," she said. She needed to force a big move out of him.

"I'm already in the security system," said Lina. "Want to know what's in his hand?"

"No!" she muttered. "Where's the fun in that?"

"Who are you talking to?" said Wickham.

"Myself," she said. "Who else? I'll start by summoning System Manipulator Dev from my hand." The silver robot appeared, writing in the air with its wrist-laser **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1200)**. "And with his effect, I can add the Portal System spell card to my hand!" She took the card from her deck.

On the sidelines, Ragnar winced. "She just added a nasty card."

Dylan nodded and said nothing.

"And now I'll go ahead and activate it!" said Amelia as a blue portal opened behind her monster. "By tributing one of my System monsters, I can summon another from my deck!" Dev stepped into the portal, and it turned orange before spitting out a robot with a typewriter on its chest **(Lv. 3, DEF: 600)**. "System Manipulator Raita!"

Wickham smiled. "I should hope that he has an impressive effect, as well?"

She almost choked on the smarm. "He does. I discard one card and special summon a System monster from my deck with the same level!" She put a card in her graveyard, and Raita typed something on his chest before another portal spat out a tiny robot holding a mouse **(Lv. 3, DEF: 800)**. "I summon System Manipulator Link!"

"And now for his effect, I presume?"

She suppressed a twitch. "Exactly. I can take one System spell or trap card from my deck and send it straight to my grave. My choice is System Basic Error." She put the card in her graveyard.

"Please shut him up," said Lina.

She said, "and now, I overlay my level three System Manipulators Link and Raita!" The two monsters became balls of light, being sucked into a galaxy in the air above them. "Understand and manipulate the system to reveal the hidden faces! Xyz summon! Take control, System Administrator Scala!"

From the galaxy flew a woman in mechanical armour with wings and a railgun **(Rk. 3, ATK: 1800)**. "And with her effect, I can detach one overlay unit and increase her attack points by five hundred, as well as making her unaffected by other cards until your end phase!" The armoured woman consumed one of the stars orbiting her, seeming to grow in stature **(ATK: 1800 - 2300)**.

"I set one card," said Amelia, "and end my turn." Now came the important part.

Wickham smiled, a greasy expression that wouldn't have been out of place on a pirate. He said, "then I draw. I'll begin by summoning my Noble Knight Medraut to the field!" A blonde man in plate armour wielding a short sword took to the field **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1700)**. "And by his effect, he's a normal monster for now."

Really, she thought, Noble Knights? Did he have _no _shame? "Equip spells, right? Stick an equip spell on him and get him all geminied up."

Wickham inclined his head, still smiling. "As expected of our champion, ever aware of her opponent. You're right, of course, and I think I'll equip him with a spell card now. One called Noble Arms - Arfeudutyr!" A sword with a black pommel and a shining blade appeared in the warrior's hand.

"Arfa-what?" said Ragnar.

"Arfeudutyr," said Dylan.

"And when Medraut is equipped with a Noble Arms, he gains a level and his attribute changes to dark **(Lv. 4 - 5)**! Not that that matters right now, of course, since it's Arfeudutyr's effect I'll be activating! By permanently reducing the equipped monster's attack points by five hundred, I can destroy one of your set spell or trap cards, and you only have one!" Medraut pointed the blade at Amelia's face-down, a beam of blue light from the tip shattering it **(ATK: 1700 - 1200)**.

Amelia shook her head. "Oh no! Whatever will I do?"

"Hate it when she does this," said Dylan.

"Don't you hate everything she does?" said Ragnar.

"This especially."

Amelia said, "the effect of the trap card Logic Gate activates in my graveyard! When it's destroyed face-down, I get to draw a card!" She did so.

"No matter," said Wickham. "Because now I activate the effect of Medraut! Since I control no other monsters, I can special summon a Noble Knight from my deck in defense position! Come, Noble Knight Borz!" Medraut held out his hand, a portal opening from which came a knight in bulky armour with a red cape and a golden cup **(Lv. 4, DEF: 900)**.

"But that effect destroys the equip spell, doesn't it?" said Amelia.

"Indeed," said Wickham as the sword shattered. "But when it is destroyed, Arfeudutyr's effect activates! I can target one Noble Knight monster I control, and equip it to it!" The sword re-appeared in Borz's hand. "And now that he is equipped, his level increases by one and his attribute becomes dark **(Lv. 4 - 5)**!" **(Medraut Lv. 5 - 4)**

Amelia eyed the monster. "And what does he do?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked," said Wickham. "First, I select three Noble Arms equip spells from my deck and show them to you. Then, you pick one at random and that card goes to my hand, while the others end up in my graveyard. The cards I choose are Noble Arms - Excaliburn, Caliburn and Gallatin." He showed her the cards before holograms of their backs appeared in front of him and shuffled themselves.

"Pick the left one," said Lina.

"I pick the middle one," Amelia said as soon as they stopped moving.

"Excellent." Wickham added the card to his hand as the sword in Borz's hand shattered **(Lv. 5 - 4)**. "Of course, Arfeudutyr is destroyed once this effect resolves. However, I am far from finished: I activate the effect of Noble Knight Gawayn in my hand! Since I control a light-attribute normal monster, I can special summon him in defense mode!" A man in golden armour took to the field **(Lv. 4, DEF: 500)**.

Amelia smirked. "Are you gonna show me something cool, now?"

Wickham grinned. "You're not the only one who can Xyz summon on their first turn. With the level four Noble Knights Gawayn and Borz, I construct the overlay network!"

Amelia clenched a fist as the two monsters ascended to the overlay portal. This was what she needed, but playing nice was draining her. Lina said, "I can see you, you know. Stay in control."

"I'm always in control," she whispered.

"Oh noble king, may you stand in defence of all that is just! Xyz summon: Artorigus, King of the Noble Knights!" A knight with a red cape and a sparking broadsword descended **(Rk. 4, ATK: 2000)**. "And when he's Xyz summoned, I can equip him with up to three Noble Arms from my graveyard! I equip Gallatin, Excaliburn and Arfeudutyr to Artorigus!"

Amelia pursed her lips as she watched a familiar sword materialise in the monster's hand. On his back appeared a sword with a red pommel and one with a two-pronged blade. Wickham said, "with the effect of Excaliburn, Artorigus can't be affected by your card effects. And Gallatin increases his attack power by a thousand!" The red-pommelled sword glowed blue **(ATK: 2000 - 3000)**. "And furthermore, I equip him with Noble Arms - Caliburn from my hand, increasing his attack power by another five hundred!" Another sword appeared on the monster's back, this one with a gold pommel **(ATK: 3000 - 3500)**.

Amelia whistled. That was an impressive display of power, but it wasn't _his_. It was too perfect, too cultivated. She'd asked the wrong questions.

Wickham said, "the extra effect of Caliburn allows me to regain five hundred life points once per turn!" He was showered in blue light **(Wickham: 4000 - 4500)**. "And now, my preparations are complete. Artorigus, King of the Noble Knights, attack System Administrator Scala!"

The knight disappeared, reappearing behind the winged warrior and slashing through her abdomen. She exploded **(Amelia: 4000 - 2800)**. Wickham said, "Noble Knight Medraut, attack Amelia directly!" He threw his sword through her chest **(Amelia: 2800 - 1600)**.

"I set one card," said Wickham, "and end my turn."

"Sure you don't want to know his hand?" said Lina.

"I draw," said Amelia. Wickham was strong, that was for sure. But he clearly had a habit of throwing all of his eggs into one basket. "I summon System Manipulator Zipp!" An anthropomorphic zipper dug up through the ground **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1100)**. "And when he's summoned, I can add a level four or lower System monster from my deck to my hand! My choice is System Manipulator Battlecoder!" She showed him the card before placing it on her duel disk.

"And with his effect, I can special summon him when I control another System monster!" A man in a technological bodysuit with a keyboard appeared next to Zipp **(Lv. 3, ATK: 700)**. "And since I special summoned a monster, I can activate the quick-play spell, System Upgrade!"

An electrical aura surrounded Battlecoder. Amelia said, "this card lets me summon a System monster from my hand one level higher than the one I just summoned, so I choose System Manipulator Des!" The purple robot appeared **(Lv. 4, DEF: 1000)**.

"Battlecoder is also a tuner monster, so I'll tune him up with the level four Zipp!" The man became three green rings into which Zipp jumped, becoming four balls of light.

"I'd expect nothing less from our champion," said Wickham.

Amelia gave him a strained smile. He really was laying it on, wasn't he? Maybe he was sick of his wife. "Understand and manipulate the system to reverse the world's misfortune! Synchro summon!" The rings exploded in a pillar of light, and the assembled crowd had to shield their eyes. It receded to reveal a cyborg in a uniform and an officer's cap. "Take control, System Administrator Commander **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2300)**!" It stared at Wickham through a mechanical eye.

"Well," said Wickham, "impressive. But neither of your monsters can touch Artorigus in terms of attack power, and your cards can't target him."

"It's like he lives in his own world," said Lina.

Her lips parted and she stared at him. "Did I say I was done? The effect of System Manipulator Des activates on the Synchro summon of Commander!"

On the sidelines, Ragnar cradled his forehead. "You know, sometimes I wonder if she is right. Look at what she does."

"She's just screwing with him," said Dylan. "We could do the same."

"Yes," said Ragnar. "But if it is us, he would know that he is being screwed with."

Dylan said nothing.

Amelia said, "when I Synchro summon a System monster, I can special summon one of its materials! Return to me, System Manipulator Battlecoder!" The monster leaped from the ground. "And now, I'll tune him with Des! Understand and manipulate the system to become its advocate!" Battlecoder again became three rings, enclosing Des and exploding in light.

"Synchro summon! Take control, System Administrator Gadget!" The man in gold armour emerged from the pillar, pointing his rifle at Wickham **(Lv. 7, ATK: 2000)**. "And when Gadget's summoned, he destroys one card you control!" The warrior took aim, pressing buttons on his rifle.

Wickham's nose twitched, and she smiled. "I choose to destroy Noble Knight Medraut!" Her monster fired a shot of golden energy at the blonde, who screamed before disintegrating.

Wickham raised his eyebrows. "Then how do you intend to get past my Artorigus?"

She furrowed her brow for a moment. She could practically hear Lina shaking her head. "That's a good point actually." She smirked. "Good thing that Commander's effect activates, then. When one of your cards is destroyed, he can negate the effect of another!"

Wickham licked his lips. "I see."

"That's right," she said. "Naturally, my choice is Noble Arms - Excaliburn! Fatal Error!" The uniformed monster held out a palm, and the sword on Artorigus' back seemed to lose its glow.

"So now you can target my king," said Wickham. "But he's still too powerful for your monsters to defeat!"

"For now," she said. "I activate the other effect of System Administrator Commander!"

Wickham's eyes widened. "Another one?"

She giggled. "Don't you pay attention?" She narrowed her eyes. "Once per turn, I can target an opponent's monster and reduce its attack points to zero!" Commander charged at Artorigus, spinning around him and locking him in handcuffs **(ATK: 3500 - 0)**. "Not much of a king now, is he?"

He pressed his lips together and inhaled. "A king is always a king, even stripped of his weapons."

She inclined her head with a wry smile. "Is that so? System Administrator Commander, destroy Artorigus with Command Principle!" The officer charged at the King, ploughing a fist straight through his armoured chest. Artorigus choked before he shattered **(Wickham: 4500 - 2200)**.

"And now," said Amelia, "your field suddenly looks very empty, doesn't it? Gadget, attack directly! Photon Fire Burst!" The monster aimed its rifle at Wickham, golden energy charging in the barrel.

Wickham gave an annoyed grunt. "Not if I activate my trap card: Pinpoint Guard! I can special summon a level four or lower monster from my graveyard, and it can't be destroyed this turn!" A stone hand erupted from the ground, carrying the form of Medraut **(Lv. 4, DEF: 1000)**. The hand protected the monster from the assault of Gadget's rifle.

"Well then," said Amelia. He hadn't needed to activate Pinpoint Guard, he would have survived anyway. Which meant that he needed the monster for something. Wickham was a winner, and he dueled like one, with grace and skill. He even let the losers into his parties. But the twitch in his eye betrayed him: he hated losing, so he'd come back with everything he had.

"I end my turn," she said.

It was time to see what he was hiding.

* * *

"I start by activating a trap card, Compulsory Evacuation Device!" An escape pod appeared on the field. "I return my Envoy of the Beginning to my hand!" The pod fired a beam at the monster, and he disappeared. "And now, by banishing Alexandrite Dragon and Lord Gaia from my graveyard, I special summon him again!" The warrior reappeared **(Lv. 8, ATK: 3000)**.

Some white noise came from the speakers as the crowd applauded.

Billy smiled. "And now, Envoy of the Beginning attacks your face-down monster! Beginning Chaos Slash!" The warrior charged, slicing through the set monster. It flipped over to reveal a man made of rocks wearing an American football helmet **(Lv. 4, DEF: 2700)**. It shattered instantly **(Billy: 3500 - 3800)**. "And thanks to Envoy's effect, he can attack again when he destroys a monster! Attack directly!" The monster charged again, this time at Neil.

Neil half-smiled as the sword cleaved through him **(Neil: 4000 - 1000) (Billy: 3800 - 4100)**. "Black Luster Soldiers," he said. "All of them with three thousand attack points." He shook his head. "I activate the quick-play spell card, Inferno Tempest!"

A commentator had an apoplexy, and the crowd gasped.

Neil said, "whenever I take three thousand damage from a single attack, I can banish every monster in both of our decks and graveyards!"

A fissure opened up above them, revealing an infinite expanse of fire. Tendrils of smoke crept into their decks and graves as they both removed every monster. Billy bit his bottom lip. He had seven cards left.

Neil said, "and one of my banished monsters is Necroface! Whenever this monster is banished, my opponent sends five cards from their deck to their graveyard!"

Billy watched in horror as the spirit of a creature too grotesque for words latched onto his arm, not letting go until he sent the cards to his grave. "Grim," he said. "But I still have an attack left! Sacred Soldier, end this duel!"

Neil shook his head again. "That can't be the best you've got. I activate my trap, Mirror Force!"

Billy exhaled through his teeth as a shining barrier took form in front of Neil, reflecting the power of Sacred Soldier's slash back across the field. Can't be his best?

It hit him again, and he decided to wear a helmet the next time he intended to have consecutive realisations.

Neil was tough, but he was also the person who started an argument to prove that he was better at arguing. Even if he didn't believe what he was saying. His entire duel style seemed to invite the opponent on. Not to talk with their cards, but scream with them.

"I activate my trap!" said Billy. "Trap Stun!"

"Counter-trap!" said Neil. "Dark Bribe! Not only does it negate your trap, but you draw a card as well!"

Billy sighed as the shockwave continued. Sacred Soldier shattered instantly, but Envoy cracked and fell to a knee before he joined his compatriot in sleep. He drew a card. "I end my turn."

If Neil's next card would mill him, it was over. Neil drew his card and put it straight in his duel disk. "I activate Swords of Revealing Light and end my turn." Three swords of light plunged into the ground in front of Neil.

Billy looked at him. "Quick question," he said. "Are you part deaf or something?"

Neil knit his brow. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you don't seem to be satisfied unless I'm screaming at you."

Neil paused for a moment before bursting out into laughter. "Ah… at least you finally get it. But a bit too late, I fear. This deck's too good, it takes away people's cards before they can show me their best, and you only have the one left."

He was right, thought Billy. He looked at his deck, at the single card resting there. If that card wasn't the winner, Neil could just skip his turn and let Billy lose. But he didn't remember seeing _that _card yet.

Alright, screw it. If he wanted to be inspiring, it was time to put on a show. He turned to the crowd and said, "ladies and gentleman, what does a duelist do when they have no hope of victory, and only one card left in their deck?"

They shouted back, an amalgam of different cries varying from 'what?' to 'give up!'. The commentators had a back-and-forth with the entertainment value of a slowly unfolding cardboard box.

Billy turned to Neil and grinned. "They have faith that it's the right one! I draw!" He imagined a trail of light following his card as he ripped it from his deck slot. He wished for a moment that he was animated, and that reality allowed for such things.

Well, at least with the written word there are no budget issues.

"Look at that," he said. "It's the right one. I activate the spell card, Chaos Call!" A blue-and-purple trumpet materialised, blowing a shrill tone. "I have to thank you for all those life points, since I need to pay three thousand of them to activate this card!" He was enveloped by a blue glow **(Billy: 4100 - 1100)**.

Neil inclined his head. "What's worth that much?"

Billy smirked. "I can special summon two of my banished level four monsters, one light and one dark-attribute!"

Neil gasped. "Two level fours?"

Unfortunately, the commentators felt the need to speak as the trumpet's tone ascended, the ground beginning to shake whilst a pair of blue portals were ripped in the fabric of reality. The shaking continued as a monster emerged from each portal, a child in blue armour with a sword and shield and a blonde angel **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1500) (Lv. 4, ATK: 1100)**.

He said, "I resurrect Envoy of Chaos and Honest!"

A commentator made a tedious comment and Billy said, "and now, I overlay my two level four monsters!" They both became balls of light, shooting into the galaxy which appeared in the air. "Soldier of chaos, take thy form as the power of evolution! Xyz summon!" A warrior wearing glinting silver armour descended, a sword on one wrist and an ornate shield on the other. His skin was white and his braid blue, and he glared at Neil with shining eyes. "Soldier of the unknown: Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of Change **(Rk. 4, ATK: 3000)**!"

The crowd lost their minds, and Billy was thankful as their noise drowned out the speakers. Neil said, "nice monster. But my Swords still stop your attack, and you don't have another turn."

"Don't need one," said Billy. "By detaching one overlay unit from Envoy of Change, I can banish one face-up card you control!" His monster slashed at the light swords, and they dissipated in a faint blue glow. "Now, Envoy of Change will attack you directly!"

"Ha!" said Neil. "Magnificent! But you have a long way to go if you think I didn't prepare for that! I activate a trap card from my graveyard: Battle Cage! By banishing this, I can negate your attack! It's over!" A giant cage fell over the Envoy.

He exhaled slowly. "To tell you the truth," he said. "I'm chasing after somebody. And that duelist uses a lot of spell and trap cards from their graveyard."

Neil's eyes widened.

Billy said, "and this card, I put into my deck while thinking about beating them. I activate the second effect of Envoy of Change!"

Neil gasped. "Another one?!"

"Yep," he said. "If I activated his first effect this turn, all of my Black Luster Soldier monsters are unaffected by other card effects until the end phase!"

Neil looked shocked, before smiling. "Well, shit."

"Go! Evolution Chaos Slash!" The warrior sliced through the cage, shattering it in a cacophony of tearing metal as he flashed beyond it at Neil. When he stopped, his sword was through the other duelist's chest **(Neil: 1000 - 0, winner: Billy)**.

The crowd and commentators simultaneously went into meltdown, but he wasn't bothered. He had won.

"Oi!" said Neil, walking over to him as the holograms dissipated. "That was a great duel." He stuck out a hand.

Billy smiled and shook his hand. "Yeah, you too, mate."

* * *

Wickham drew his card. "I send my Medraut to the graveyard in order to special summon Ignoble Knight of Black Laundsallyn!" The blonde knight disappeared, replaced by a man in black armour with long hair and a darker version of Gallatin **(Lv. 5, ATK: 2000)**.

She smirked. There it is, she thought. Now show me more. "What else you got, Harry?"

"Careful," said Lina. "You might give him the wrong idea."

She shook her head as Wickham's eye twitched again. "The spell card, Hidden Armory! At the cost of the top card of my deck, I can add an equip spell to my hand! My choice is Magnum Shield!" He showed her the card.

She frowned. Why not a Noble Arms? He should have at least one left.

Wickham grinned. "And with what I just sent to my graveyard, I seem to be perfectly poised. I banish the Noble Knights Gawayn and Borz in my graveyard to special summon Noble Knight Eachtar!" A man in a green cape with a burning torch appeared **(Lv. 5, ATK: 1600)**. "And when I use him to Synchro or Xyz summon a Noble Knight monster, you can't activate spell or trap cards in response!"

She nodded. "Nice. Xyz summon now then, yeah?"

Wickham chuckled. "Not quite. I activate the effect of Lady of the Lake in the graveyard!"

"When did that get there?" said Ragnar.

"Hidden Armory," said Dylan.

Wickham smiled and said, "I can reduce the level of a level five Noble Knight by one to special summon her!" The floor became aquatic and bubbled, a woman in a blue dress splashing up out of it **(Lv. 1, DEF: 1900)** **(Eachtar lv. 5 - 4)**.

"So a Synchro summon?" said Amelia.

"Indeed," said Wickham. "I tune my level four Eachtar with the level one Lady of the Lake!" The Lady became a single green ring, enclosing Eachtar as he turned into four balls of light. "High king of unholy divinity, show the world your face! Synchro summon!" A darker version of Black Laundsallyn appeared, glowing red and wielding a second sword **(Lv. 5, ATK: 2100)**. "Ignoble Knight of High Laundsallyn!

"And upon his synchro summon, I can equip him with a Noble Arms from my deck, like Noble Arms of Destiny!" A plain silver sword and shield appeared in the knight's hands. "Once per turn, this card protects my monster from destruction! Furthermore, I equip Black Laundsallyn with Magnum Shield, increasing his attack points by his defence points!" The other knight took up a pointed red-and-gold half shield **(ATK: 2000 - 2800)**.

She stared down his monsters, fighting the urge to grin so widely that her face crossed postcodes. This was exactly what she'd been aiming for. Lina said, "show your face, indeed."

"I enter my battle phase," said Wickham, "and attack System Administrator Commander with Ignoble Knight of Black Laundsallyn!" The warrior charged, brandishing the Magnum Shield as he wound up his strike. He cleaved through the uniformed man, shattering him with a scream **(Amelia: 1600 - 1100)**.

"Ow," she said, and Dylan palmed his face on the sidelines.

"Next, High Laundsallyn will attack Gadget!" Amelia's monster pointed his rifle, but the knight was already behind him, cutting him into chunks **(Amelia: 1100 - 1000)**. "And at the end of my battle phase, the effect of High Laundsallyn!"

An effect that required him to destroy her monsters, then. How fitting.

"Since I destroyed one of your monsters by battle, I can add a Noble Arms or Noble Knight card from my deck to my hand." He pulled out the card and showed her. "My choice is Gwenhwyfar, Queen of Noble Arms! And during my main phase two, I use her effect to equip her to High Laundsallyn! Now, not only does his attack power increase by three hundred, he gets extra protection against your card effects!"

A woman with twin braids alighted next to the monster, handing him another sword **(ATK: 2100 - 2400)**. "I end my turn," he said.

Amelia drew her card and grinned. She could have kept toying with him; she had the cards in her hand to do it, even if she only had two. But she had exactly what she'd come for, and everything she needed was in her graveyard. Next was her favourite part. The one where she crushed him.

"Tell you what, Harry," she said. "I'll go easy for you. How about that?"

His smile looked like it had been drawn on. "Really, there's no need…"

"No," she said. "Just to be fair, I won't use any of the cards in my hand this turn, including ones I haven't drawn yet."

Wickham narrowed one eye. "That's fair to you?"

"It's not even a handicap for her," muttered Dylan. "Always with the head games."

"Hey," said Ragnar. "For now, just enjoy show."

Amelia said, "from my graveyard, I activate the effect of the spell card Portal System!"

Everybody gasped so hard that their lungs simultaneously collapsed before realising that no, they were actually okay, and getting back to work. Wickham said, "but isn't that…"

She gave him a pixie's smile. "The first spell card I used? Yep. And with it, I can banish the appropriate monsters from my graveyard to fusion summon a System monster!"

She watched the realisation squash him, and it was delicious. His face cycled through emotions from fear to anger to disgust and everything in-between, until settling on strained neutrality. She winked and watched the steam rise from his ears.

"You're so cruel," said Lina. "I like it."

"I choose to banish my System Administrators Gadget and Scala!"

A blue portal and an orange one appeared on the field, each with a silhouette of one of the Administrators. A force from between them pulled them together, the colours merging and swirling in a vortex. "Understand and manipulate the system to merge as one and evolve! Fusion summon!"

The vortex coalesced into the form of a twenty-foot tall mecha, sleek and black with shoulder-mounted cannons and Gatlings on its wrists. "Take control, System Administrator Maya **(Lv. 10, ATK: 2800)**!"

A few people in the crowd whistled. Wickham said, "but that's not enough. Are you sure you don't want to reconsider the thing about not using your hand?"

"Show him who the real boss is," said Lina.

She laughed. "Oh, dear. Once per turn, Maya is able to target one monster you control and destroy it!"

"But since my High Laundsallyn is protected, that means…"

"Does everyone you duel feel the need to state the obvious?" said Lina.

She giggled and pointed at Wickham's monster. "I destroy Black Laundsallyn!" A missile shot from the mecha's shoulder, obliterating the knight.

Wickham inhaled. "However, next turn-"

"You don't have a next turn. When Maya's effect destroys your monster, she gains that monster's original attack points!" The mech held out its arm, absorbing energy from the scorch mark that remained in Black Laundsallyn's place **(ATK: 2800 - 4800)**.

She heard Lina laugh down the earpiece as Wickham stammered. She said, "now, Maya! Finish him off!" The monster pointed an arm at High Laundsallyn, releasing a spray of Gatling bullets that rained upon Wickham as well **(Wickham: 2200 - 0)**.

The holograms faded, and Wickham fell to one knee. Amelia approached him, making sure her chin was as high up as possible. "Anything we'd like to admit, Harry?"

He only glared for a second, returning quickly to neutrality as his wife ran over. She glared at Amelia. Wickham said, "I am certainly an inferior duelist to you, Miss Danforth. For now." He held out a hand.

She shook it, fighting not to grimace at the feeling of his sweaty palms. He was still fronting to her, which was interesting. He probably wasn't evil, she thought, just deluded. "That's the spirit," she said. "Keep coming back."

Wickham chuckled. "Oh, don't worry."

She stepped past him, considering how to use this new information. She tripped over. She grabbed at his trouser pocket before she hit the ground, hauling herself back up.

Wickham gave her a queer look. "Are you alright?"

"Yes!" she said. "Very alright. Incredibly fine. Sorry about that, might have had too much. Think I'd better go home."

"Yes, well," said Wickham. "Do be careful." He went back inside, and she swore she heard his wife telling her to never come back. Well then.

She walked through the hall and gathered her leathers before mounting her bike and putting a finger to her ear.

"Smooth as you like," she said.

* * *

Harry Wickham was sitting in his home office. It was bigger than the one at work, all panelled wood and leather. There was a large desk with a high-backed chair behind it, in which he sat, staring at a blank computer screen. The curtains were drawn, and the light was soft.

He picked up his phone and dialled. It rang three times before a rough cockney voice said, "yeah?"

"It's Wickham," he said. "I think Amelia Danforth may know."

He heard the man on the other end gulp. "What gives you that idea?"

He rubbed his brow. "She showed up to my party, which is strange enough on its own. Then she provoked me into dueling her, whereupon she had me dance like her puppet and show her everything she wanted to see."

"Yeah," said the cockney, "you need to be careful of that. What do you want me to do about it?"

"Keep it in mind," said Wickham. "Nonetheless, it seems her focus will remain on me for the time being, so I doubt you have much to worry about. The acquisition can go ahead as planned, Mr. Pratt."

"Scared me for a second, then," said Terry. "If I can give you one piece of advice about that woman?"

"Please," said Wickham.

"Drop a fucking bridge on her."

* * *

**ED1: Shinedown - Better Version**

* * *

**AN: **And thus, the fourth wall comes crashing down, crumbling into dust as it hits the floor and I realise that I may just have made a terrible, terrible mistake…

**Amelia: **So you and I need to have a chat about my backstory.

Well, for some reason, I get the feeling I am not going to enjoy this. Before I get attacked by my own character, the usual thanks to ThatLoneAvenger for his beta work, and his work on MOD. And thank you to JohanPhantom for the favourite!

**Amelia: **You done yet?

No, we still have to do Tri-GURK!

**Trivia Corner:  
****Amelia: **Apparently, the author of this story actually _likes _being tickled. I'll need to step up my game if I want to convince him to change my backstory. I mean, seriously, who the hell **-SPOILER TAG-**. Oh, look at that, he's still conscious. Back to work, then.

**System Manipulator Raita  
****LIGHT/Machine/Effect  
****Level 3  
****ATK: 300 DEF: 600  
****Once per turn, during your main phase: you can discard 1 card; special summon 1 'System' monster from your deck with a level equal to this card's level.**

**System Manipulator Link  
****LIGHT/Machine/Effect  
****Level 3  
****ATK: 700 DEF: 800  
****When this card is normal/special summoned: you can send 1 'System' spell/trap card from your deck to your GY.**

**System Manipulator Battlecoder  
****LIGHT/Machine/Tuner/Effect  
****Level 3  
****ATK: 700 DEF: 500  
****If you control a face-up 'System' monster: you can special summon this card (from your hand).**

**System Administrator Scala  
****LIGHT/Warrior/Xyz/Effect  
****Rank 3  
****ATK: 1800 DEF: 1600  
****2 level 3 'System' monsters  
****Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz material from this card; increase this card's ATK by 500, and if you do: this card is unaffected by your opponent's card effects, until your opponent's next end phase.**

**System Administrator Commander  
****LIGHT/Warrior/Synchro/Effect  
****Level 7  
****ATK: 2300 DEF: 1900  
****1 'System' tuner + 1+ non-tuner monsters  
****When a monster on the field is destroyed and sent to the graveyard: target 1 face-up spell/trap card your opponent controls; negate the effects of that target, until the end phase. Once per turn, you can target one monster your opponent controls: reduce that target's ATK to 0.**

**System Administrator Maya  
****LIGHT/Warrior/Fusion/Effect  
****Level 10  
****ATK: 2800 DEF: 2500  
****2 'System Administrator' monsters  
****Must be Fusion summoned, and cannot be special summoned by other ways. Once per turn, you can target 1 monster your opponent controls; destroy it, and if you do: increase this card's ATK by the destroyed monster's original ATK. If this card is destroyed and sent to the GY: add 1 'System' card from your deck to your hand.**

**Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of Change  
****LIGHT/Warrior/Xyz/Effect  
****Rank 4  
****ATK: 3000 DEF: 3000  
****1 level 4 LIGHT monster + 1 level 4 DARK monster  
****Once per turn, you can detach 1 Xyz material from this card to target 1 card your opponent controls; banish it, and if you do, all 'Black Luster Soldier' monsters you currently control are unaffected by other card effects until the end of this turn.**

**Portal System  
****Normal Spell  
****Tribute 1 'System' monster you control; special summon 1 'System' monster with a different level from your deck. If this card is in the GY, during your main phase: you can banish this card along with the appropriate Fusion material monsters; special summon 1 'System Administrator' monster from your extra deck (this summon is counted as a Fusion summon).**

**System Basic Error  
****Normal Spell  
****?**

**System Upgrade  
****Quick-play Spell  
****When you successfully special summon a monster: target that special summoned monster; special summon a 'System' monster with a level 1 higher than the targeted monster's.**

**Chaos Call  
****Normal Spell  
****Pay 3000 LP to target 1 of your banished LIGHT and 1 of your banished DARK monsters; special summon those targets. **

**Logic Gate  
Normal Trap  
****When this set card on the field is destroyed and sent to the GY: draw 1 card. **

**Chaos Circle  
****Normal Trap  
****Tribute 1 LIGHT or DARK monster you control; activate 1 of these effects, based on the attribute of the monster tributed:**

** \- LIGHT: target 1 of your banished DARK monsters; add that target to your hand**

** \- DARK: target 1 LIGHT monster in your GY; special summon that target**

**Battle Cage  
****Counter Trap  
When your opponent declares an attack: you can banish this card from your GY to target the attacking monster; negate the attack.**


	10. Dutch Beers

**OP1: Dragonforce - Ashes of the Dawn**

* * *

**10: Dutch Beers Are Made With the Waters of Avalon**

* * *

"_Drop a fucking bridge on her."_

Amelia inclined her head and made a face, her hair brushing across Lina's cheek. "Well, isn't he charming?"

"Very," said Mackie. He was leaning forward on the sofa across from them, his hands clasped between his knees. "Almost as if he's scared of the woman who destroyed his operation four years ago."

"Allegedly destroyed," said Amelia. She was standing over the back of Lina, eyes glued to the laptop screen as the blonde typed. She straightened up and looked at Mackie. "That should be sufficient evidence, right, Inspector?"

"If I wanted the case laughed out of court, then yes. But it's a start." He stood up, straightening his blazer. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to fill out a report." He rounded the other sofa, shaking Amelia's hand and giving Lina a queer look somewhere between suspicion and respect. "Good night."

She watched him walk towards her front door. Was that it? "So what now?"

He half-turned, his eyelids drooping. "Now, I suggest you get some sleep. I'd assume you have a busy schedule; as I recall, you're supposed to be in Madrid next week, right? I'll call you if I need anything." He left.

Amelia chuffed. Was he supposed to be a detective? He sounded more like her PR rep. Lina twisted and leaned over the back of the couch, grinning. "He'll call you."

Amelia swatted at her, smirking as she recoiled and returned to typing. "He'll do as he's told."

"Still," said Lina, eyes not moving from the screen, "did you have to bring him here? I don't like the feeling of the boot so close to my neck."

Amelia looked at her for a second, deciding to loom over the back of her again. She attached her hands to slender shoulders and leaned over. She smelled of mint and limes. "The government's gonna get you."

"It's okay," said Lina, "you'll protect me. Besides, I'm registered as living on a boat, so what are they gonna do? Start firing torpedoes?"

Amelia furrowed her brow. "Then where do you actually live?"

"On a different, less obvious boat. Right now, here."

The corner of Amelia's mouth twitched upwards. "Sure, stay as long as you want!"

"Thank you," said Lina, pausing her typing. "This stuff isn't like the movies. It can take days, sometimes."

Amelia chuckled and shook her head. She didn't mind. She looked back at the screen and said, "so what am I looking at?"

"Code," said Lina. "A wall of it. Remember the transceiver you dropped in Wickham's pocket?"

She recalled falling over and grabbing on to Wickham. "Yeah, I remember. Bugged him, right?"

"No," said Lina. "Yes. Kind of. A little. It let me jump onto the phone's network and get into it, so as well as all of Wickham's messages and appointments, I managed to get a look into Terry's phone too."

"Anything incriminating?" said Amelia.

"Wickham uses separate accounts," said Lina. "Nothing I can trace through his phone. Terry's was an unregistered pay-as-you-go with no accounts loaded into it, but there was a message with a date and a URL."

"Let me guess," said Amelia. "Wall of code?"

Lina sighed. "The very same. When you've already designed the program, it's easy. But for this? I have no idea what the cipher key is or whether I can even understand the language. The only comprehensible part is the page name. Whoever designed this was _good_."

Amelia raised an eyebrow. Crumbs were better than nothing. "What's the page name?"

"The Best Kind of Quest," said Lina. "Probably some weird joke from the creator. The only match I could find was a videogame."

"Which game?" said Amelia.

Lina looked at her quizzically, but still said, "Monster Hunter: World."

She slumped over the back of the sofa, staring at Lina. "Are you sure about that?"

The blonde nodded. "Positive. Why, is it important?"

"I think I know exactly what he meant by acquisition. Or where they're acquiring it from, anyway. Date?"

"Tomorrow," said Lina.

Amelia yawned, detaching herself from the sofa. "Then I think I'll do as the nice policeman suggested and get some sleep. See you tomorrow."

Lina smiled. "Not if the suits get us first."

* * *

Dueling, he decided, was a good metaphor for life. You won, and you lost. You took, and were taken from. Sometimes you learned a lesson. The only thing it was missing was an analogue for the blazing agony of being stuck in a car with a full bladder. Why would it need one when it had the real thing?

As soon as the tension had left him, the spikes tearing through his bladder had compelled him to flee. Apparently there had been cameras, but he hadn't seen any. Still. In the book of _Most Embarrassing Things To Do For Your On-Camera Debut_, flapping away like a penguin on speed was by far the lesser evil.

He left the bathroom, sighing to himself. The corridor was a few feet wide, with a vinyl floor and tall windows. As a duelist, he felt he should probably watch the rest of the event's duels. But as a duelist who had just beaten a tough opponent? He thought he was entitled to a nice, cold pint. Something Dutch, maybe. He wiped his mouth.

"You know, I've seen rookies about to evacuate in an interview before," said a voice behind him, "but this is the first time I've seen someone evacuate _from_ one."

He rolled his eyes and turned around. The voice belonged to a bear in a striped shirt. Billy said, "just got different priorities, I suppose."

Neil chuckled. "And smart ones. But a smart person goes to the toilet _before _the duel starts."

Billy shrugged, waving it away. What did a bear know about being smart, anyway? "I'll remember it for next time."

Neil put his hands in his pockets and walked over to Billy, the light from the windows tinting his fur a copper colour as he passed. "Joe's not gonna be happy…"

Billy tightened his lips in confusion. "Who?"

The bear stared at him with wide eyes. "Joe Mepham, the commentator…? He does the interviews."

"There's an interview?"

"Well, yeah, you won. That's sort of how these things work."

After a long exhale, Billy said, "sounds like a pain in the arse, to be honest."

The bear's belly started shaking as it tittered, eventually degrading into a roar. "It's the most tedious part of the job." He wiped a tear from his eye, still panting.

"Why interview the first one on?" said Billy. "I thought the first was supposed to be the shittest? Was it even on telly? I didn't see any cameras."

Neil's eye twitched as he stared at Billy. "Seriously? We were on the streaming service, not the TV."

Billy's mouth fell open and he stared into the depths of the walls, contemplating his understanding of the universe. "There's a streaming service?"

The bear shook his head. "How do you not know these things?"

Billy held up his hands. "Mate, I couldn't even see the cameras."

The bear looked down, sighed, and looked back up. "Ah well. You fancy a beer?"

"Funnily enough, I do."

* * *

She opened the door, taking a moment to let her eyes adjust to the shop's gloomy interior. What was it with these places covering the windows?

Walls lined by shelves, a dark green carpet and a space in the centre full of models and glass cases. Same old Monster Hunters, aside from the screen on wheels in front of her, the small crowd and an irate-looking Tim chastising a ginger teen with a brush in his hand. The kind that nerds use to paint action figures.

"You know that's vandalism, right?" said Tim.

The kid looked between Tim and the model next to him with a furrowed brow. "But it's not right! The decal on the blade isn't thick enough! This is the difference between cheap tat and quality merchandise, you know."

Tim's mouth hung open, an eyebrow raising as he stuttered. "Yeah, and it won't be worth anything when you're done with it."

Amelia looked to her right, at the counter and its displays. In her eyeline appeared Executor, ethereal but clear, favouring her with a grunt. Her ace, and partner. She approached the two arguing by the statue and coughed loudly, ignoring their stares as she examined the so-called error.

She gently stroked the blade and turned to the kid with an askew glance. "So what's wrong with it?"

He stammered and went red, and she recognised him. He was the kid from the tournament whom Billy had beaten, with the one-trick OTK. She stared as he continued failing to answer her.

"Go easy," said Tim.

"Okay," she said. "What's your name?"

"John," said the kid, catching his breath. He had dropped the brush on the floor between them.

"John," she said. "As somebody who has been staring at that card since childhood, believe me when I tell you this, this beautiful statue is completely accurate." She rubbed its leg as her face fell to a frown. "At least, it was, until you decided to treat it like a canvas." She grinned, trying hard to emphasise her incisors.

John gulped, twisting the ball of his foot in place as he looked down. "I'm sorry, I-"

"How are you gonna make it up to him?" She stared at him with hard eyes and hands on hips. If she was going to play out the scene, she might as well go all in.

"Um, I-"

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I'll clean it off right away!" He scurried off towards the back door.

Tim gave her a queer look. "That seemed a bit harsh. The kid idolises you."

"Good." She sniffed. "That means he'll listen. And maybe think twice before defacing my best friend."

Tim narrowed his eyes. "Your best friend? The statue?"

She suppressed a giggle. She had forgotten how incredulous normal people could be, sometimes. "No, the monster."

"Right then," he said, walking over to the counter. "Out of interest, how many more times do you need to visit before I can use your patronage to advertise?"

She followed him, taking position on the customer's side after he sidled behind it. She smiled and said, "knock yourself out. I quite like it here, anyway."

"That's good to hear," said Tim. "So what can I do for you?"

She flicked an eye to the crowd behind her, mostly kids with a couple of adults she presumed were parents, and pointed from in front of her. "What's going on?"

"Ah, that," said Tim. "John's idea, actually." He gestured to the teen, who had found a bucket and cloth somewhere and was scrubbing the statue. "Apparently the 'aspiring amateurs' of the shop could learn a great deal from a communal watching of the debut duel for this place's own 'shooting star'."

She snorted. "'Shooting star'?"

Tim sighed. "Kid's words, not mine."

She looked over as John started to walk away from the dripping statue. "Oi!" She smirked as he stopped dead, eyes wide as a deer's. "I still see streaks!"

He made a noise the closest transcription of which is "meep" and got back to scrubbing. Tim shook his head.

"What does that make me then?" she said. "Gravity?"

He breathed a short laugh and shook his head again. "Honestly." He exhaled. "He's a good kid, you know. They all are."

She inclined her head. "Even if they're a pain in the arse?"

He nodded with a wry smirk. "Even then."

She turned around, beaming as widely as she could at the assembled kids. A couple had notepads out, and they'd all been trying not to look at her. She gave a coy wave. They rushed forward as fast as their tiny legs would carry them. Oh well. The attention could be annoying, but there was nothing wrong with a little benevolence.

She had an image to maintain, after all.

* * *

"Cheers," said Billy, sipping his hard-won nectar before looking up at Neil, who sat down across from him. They were in a small lounge with a few tables, and booths along the walls that had the kind of prickly upholstery found in eras before his birth. The carpet was red, with imperceptible swirling patterns in deeper shades, and mirrors covering the walls made the room uncomfortably bright. There was a bar along the back, and chatter of the ongoing event bled in from outside whilst a faint odour of roasted nuts lingered. It was just them and the barman.

Billy watched as Neil drank his own beer, pondering. They were sitting at a small, round table in the middle of the room. "Don't like drinking alone, then?" said Billy, reaching for things to say.

"Something like that," said Neil, taking another drink. He sighed. "Can't beat a good Heini. I'd say it's the greatest lager in the world, but I have a feeling Carlsberg might sue me."

Billy chuckled. "Three point eight percent isn't beer, it's water. But never mind Carlsberg, I'd sue for a statement like that."

Neil squinted with one eye and said, "alright then, I challenge you to name me something better!"

Billy took a swig. "Amstel."

Neil furrowed his brow for a second. "Arguable. But they're both from the same country, so to be expected. Everyone always goes on about German beer like it's some kind of nectar from the gods, but the Netherlands are where it's really at."

"Yeah," said Billy, raising his glass, "fuck the Germans and their inferior brewing techniques."

"Hear hear," said Neil, raising his own pint in the air. "To the Dutch, and all they give us."

Billy snorted and clinked his glass. Silence followed, and his imagination led him to another duel with Amelia. They were at Wembley, with the roof open in the height of summer. Not an empty seat in sight. In his mind, he always found a clever way to beat her at the last second, but reality wasn't so kind. He couldn't delude himself into thinking a first step put him anywhere near her level.

"Still," said Neil, breaking Billy from his reverie, "way to play the crowd. You had to know though, right?"

"Obviously," said Billy, taking another swig. "It was the only card I hadn't seen yet."

Neil quirked his lips and laid his palms on the table. "Real duelists don't just come out of nowhere. How did you get here, Billy?"

He clicked his tongue as he rested his fist on the wooden surface. It was sticky. "PR rep stuck me on a Megabus."

Neil sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I was more asking about the path that brought you here."

Billy shrugged. "What, like, the League? I did a quick test then dueled some theatrical bloke with a Gate Guardian fetish."

Arms twitching like he was resisting throwing them up in the air, Neil said, "Fred! How's he doing?"

Billy's jaw slackened. "Does everyone know that guy?"

Neil frowned. "He's actually pretty private. Who else do you know who knows him?"

His cheeks tightened. "Guy called Tim. Runs a card shop."

Neil lifted a finger from his glass to point at him and said, "Monster Hunters, yeah?"

Billy inclined his head. "Yeah."

Neil nodded. "My daughter hangs out there sometimes, girl called Sally. You ever met her?"

Billy drained the rest of his glass almost as quickly as the blood drained from his face. The man was built like a tree trunk. What would an angry tree trunk look like?

It was best not to go there.

"Can't say I have," said Billy.

"Fair enough," said Neil, finishing his own beer. "Another one?"

Billy held out his empty glass. "Go on then."

Neil took it and was back within a minute, armed with freshly-pulled pints. He sipped his own as he sat down and said, "you didn't actually answer my question. I was trying to ask what it was that made you want to be a duelist."

His mouth formed an 'o' as he hesitated. "It's my rope," he said. "It's how I escape from being nothing." There was a tightness in his chest, and a weight in his stomach. He wasn't lying. But could there be a deeper ideal, a reflection within himself which he had yet to uncover?

Neil nocked an eyebrow for a moment, before he shrugged and nodded. "Being better than you were yesterday. As good as anything else, I suppose."

Billy made a face. "Not what I said, but sure." An uneasy silence settled, and he suppressed a sigh. Bloody people and their conversations. "What about you?"

Neil leaned back and exhaled. "I wanted to understand people. Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with great empathy, but my dad said that dueling could connect two people's hearts. So here I am."

"Get what you wanted?"

"Mostly. You're a tricky one, though." His dark eyes bore into Billy's, as if seeking an unanswered question in the recesses of his skull.

Billy eyed his new acquaintance, praying to beings he didn't believe in for an excuse to cut the conversation short.

His prayers were answered by a little blonde shitstorm tromping into the room.

"William Blake! What in god's name do you think you're doing?!"

Michelle's voice pierced his eardrums, causing a grimace from both men. He looked at her, her body trembling, face scrunched, and breathing ragged. She looked ready to turn green and bust out of that expensive blazer. He said, "as of this moment, regretting my life choices immensely."

She seethed, ignoring Neil's half-hearted attempt not to laugh. "You are aware, of course, that you are contractually obligated to make pre- and post-duel appearances as requested, hm?"

"Am I also contractually obligated to piss myself on camera?"

She rapidly clenched and unclenched her fists, as if she were imagining repeatedly crushing his testicles. He shuddered as she said, "a weak argument for a man sat drinking."

He finished his beer and said, "in my defence, I didn't realise I had a contract." Neil laughed harder.

He was sure he saw steam around her head as she sputtered. "How? I emailed it to you on Thursday!"

Billy shrugged. "I was really high?" Neil fell out of his chair, pounding the carpet as he roared. He stopped abruptly, regarding a mysterious fluid resting on his hand with horror.

Michelle growled, and her voice ascended to a tone probably mentioned in the Magna Carta. "Think about how this reflects on _me_, William."

He stood up, palms raised. "Alright, I'm sorry. I'll do the interview. And stop calling me that!"

She inhaled slowly, through her nose. "Okay then. Now, come on." She swivelled on her heel.

Billy turned to Neil. "Sorry mate. It was a good match though." He turned back and followed.

"No worries," said Neil with a lazy wave. "You live in London, yeah? You should come for tea, sometime." His voice turned mocking as he continued. "Maybe we can have my Sally teach about the value of sweetness in all things."

Billy groaned, and walked faster. Who knew that a shitty attitude would have future consequences? He mentally added Neil near the top of his 'People to avoid at all costs' list, right between Terry and Fred.

* * *

Amelia struggled not to chuckle as Tim wrestled with the dinosaur on wheels. "I'm gobsmacked you managed to hook a computer up to that thing," she said.

"HDMI to RGB," he grunted, face red and teeth clenched. His scrabbling feet finally gained purchase, and he managed to start wheeling it towards the counter. "You can connect anything with the right adaptor."

"Shame the quality didn't carry," she said. She raised her voice as Tim opened the door to the back and pushed the TV through. "I couldn't even see the look on his stupid face when he fell over!"

Tim re-emerged, still sniggering. "'The call of nature is greater than the call of Mepham' was my personal highlight."

She snickered and shook her head. "It doesn't take that long to use the toilet."

"Depends what he had for breakfast," said Tim.

"D'you see the look on the has-been's face?"

Tim smirked. "Priceless."

Amelia turned away as Tim's attention was caught by the last few kids in the shop approaching the counter in a loose cluster. She examined some of the posters, and the statues. The craftsmanship never ceased to amaze her.

She heard a meek cough beside her, and turned to see John Smith standing, staring at his shoes. "Um…" he said.

She inclined her head. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to say…" He bounced from one foot to the other. "Sorry about the statue."

She smiled. "No harm done."

"Also…" He was sneaking glances at her, trying not to look directly at her face. Like it would blind him or something. He stuck out a rigid arm and said, "would you please shake my hand?"

She grasped his hand and shook, a crooked smile on her face. He stood there for a second, staring at his hand in wonderment. She admired the image of her within the boy's eyes: it was an ideal, too cultivated and perfect, but its effect was unmistakable.

"Now go on," she said, nodding towards the group of kids filtering out of the door. John made a noise and followed after them, thanking her profusely.

Amelia walked over to the counter as Tim sighed. He said, "and now no-one else is going to come in for the rest of the day. I hate Sundays."

Her jaw tensed as she squinted in one eye. "Go home, then."

"Can't," he said. "Says on the door we close at six."

"Doesn't mean _you _have to be here."

Tim stared at her, his jaw slack. "I'm not making my mum work a Sunday."

She leaned her forearms on the counter, eyeing Tim. She smelled an opportunity. "You look tired," she lied. "You should at least hire someone else, you know, lighten the load."

"Probably," he said, shrugging. "But why? I like my job."

She raised her eyebrows. "It's not all there is, though, is it?"

"Suppose not. Would be nice to have more time to read. Recently I've been wondering about how Jungian cognitive functions might apply to a theory of duel styles, so I should probably do some research."

Amelia stared at him. "Seriously?"

"What? Everyone has hobbies."

She smirked. "Pretty challenging hobby."

He started rummaging underneath the counter. "Doesn't seem so bad once you've written a dissertation."

She blinked. "Really? You have a doctorate?"

"Yep," he said. "Duel Psychology."

"And you run a shop?"

He popped back up with a folder that was ready to burst open, and a pen. He opened the folder and said, "like I said, I like my job."

"Still," she said, "you should go home, put your feet up. Start your research."

He arched an eyebrow. "But then who would watch the shop?"

"Me."

He nodded with an incredulous smile. "Uh-huh. And have you ever served a customer before?"

"Can't be that hard. Besides, you said nobody was gonna come in."

He scribbled a few things in the folder before closing it. "And say someone does?"

"Then they go home with an autograph and a selfie. They're _definitely _coming back."

He breathed a laugh. "Okay then. But why?"

"I'm worried about you, obviously."

"Right," he said. "Now I may not really know you, Amelia, but I've seen enough to know how slippery you can be. So let me be a bit more specific: what's in it for you?"

She sniggered. "Duel Psychologist, right. Nothing gets past you. You've seen right through me."

"So?"

She half-smiled, eyeing him fondly. He might have seen through her personality, but he had no idea as to her intentions. "Fine. I'm hiding from my PR rep."

Tim snorted. "For real? You're hiding from a squirrel in a suit?"

She shuddered. "You don't have to deal with the fascist. He keeps trying to rewrite my schedule even though it's worked for me forever, and he won't shut up about this stupid low-fat diet. Like, god forbid I'm ever on camera with the _wrong kind _of curves."

Tim put a fist to his mouth as he chortled. "Okay, I'll admit he sounds overbearing, but it can't be that bad."

She parted her lips with wide eyes. "I'm not allowed to sleep with anyone he hasn't pre-approved, just in case the media ever finds out I decided to bang a bin-man or something."

"And do you listen?"

"Of course not, but I'd rather not have to listen to the sound of his stupid voice."

Tim sighed and shook his head. "Fine." He put the folder back beneath the counter, and took a set of keys from his pocket. "Close at six, no earlier. If anyone's still here at six, give them ten minutes before courteously informing them that they're taking the piss and you have a home to go to, as well." He handed her the keys.

She smiled and saluted. "Yes, boss!"

He shook his head again, like he was doing his best impression of a bobblehead, and beckoned her over. After showing her a few buttons on the till, and confirming what key did what, he grabbed his things from the office and made for the door.

"Remember to lock everything when you leave," he said, the bell chiming as he opened the door.

"No worries," she said. If everything went as expected, she wouldn't be leaving anyway. "And Tim?"

"Hm?"

She grinned. "Thank you."

He said nothing, waving as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

She yawned, placing another comic book on the growing pile in front of her. It was well past midnight, and no noise was filtering in from the street or the retail park. It was eerie. The smell of her Burger King had faded, for which she was grateful. It was edible cardboard, but it did the job. What remained was the smell of actual cardboard and glossy paper.

She sighed and set to replacing her reading material. She had dragged the wheelie chair from Tim's office, so she pushed herself over to the back shelves and put everything back approximately where she had taken it from. It was getting late; enough that she wondered if the page had just been a smokescreen. Maybe she had interpreted it wrong.

She wheeled back to her spot behind the counter and leaned back, stretching. Logic had dictated it as the target, and her logic had yet to fail her.

Something was going to happen.

As if on cue, she heard a muffled banging from the back, and a pair of hushed voices. Grinning, she stood up and planted herself next to the hinges of the door. They would have to go in the opposite direction to get out from behind the counter, so she should have a jump on them. It was showtime.

She waited, breathing slowly and quietly. She swallowed. What was probably a few seconds felt like years, but the door eventually inched open, a pair of black-clad figures creeping through it and emerging from behind the counter. She could barely see them. She padded after them, coming from behind the counter and standing behind the two men, who were making hand signals at each other.

"Hello, boys," she said.

The one to her left fell over as he spun, crashing down in a tangle of limbs. The other was a little shorter than her, but as wide as he was tall. Despite the balaclava, she could see that his nose was crooked. This man didn't fall over.

He shoved a pistol into Amelia's face.

She grinned and stepped forward, her heart clenching a death grasp on her uvula. "What, you gonna shoot me?"

His arm was a rock, the void within the barrel motionless as she stared into it. He said, "don't want to, but I will."

She could feel the sweat dripping from her nose. "You sure that's the best idea? I mean, it's horrifying, but the people whose opinions matter would put a hell of a lot more value on my life than the people you usually kill." She stepped closer, pressing her forehead to the gun.

The other guy stood up, staring at her with footballs for eyes. He was small enough she could have mistaken him for a teenager. "Mate…" he said.

"Boss told us to eliminate any interference," said the first goon.

"You think he'd like us on the front page?"

Amelia chuckled. "Listen to your friend."

"Shut up!" He jabbed the gun forwards. She didn't move.

"You can kill me," she said, her words trying to crawl through a desert. She knew what would happen if they saw through her bravado, but they wouldn't. Didn't stop the fear. "Do that, steal whatever and get away. And then, once they find your DNA here, you'll be in prison for the rest of your life."

She couldn't see, but she was sure he paled as his grip loosened on the weapon. She could have taken it. That would defeat the objective, though, and she wasn't about to ruin a perfectly good plan for a flash of irrationality. She said, "or you could give up and go to prison for a couple of years. Plus whatever else they find on you, but a pair of upstanding gents like yourselves, no chance, right?"

Goon One bristled. "First option sounds better." He tightened his finger on the trigger.

She stepped back and held up her hands. "Don't you wanna hear the third one?"

Goon Two, who had been trying to find the secrets of the universe within the weave of the carpet, perked up. "There's a third option?"

She grinned again, showing all of her teeth. "There's always a third option."

"Out with it, then," said Goon One.

"We duel," she said, edging closer. "Me against you two. You win, take what you want and go. I win, well, you know what comes after that."

Goon Two gave what looked like a sigh of relief and reached for his bag. Goon One, however, squeezed the slack out of the trigger and sneered. "Think about the position you're in."

There it was. The point of maximum impact. She surged forwards and grabbed the goon's wrist, forcing it upwards as she twisted, sending him to one knee. He screamed. She slid the weapon from his impotent hand and levelled it on him, staring into trembling, smoking eyes with glee. She felt a wave of nostalgia as she remembered days when it had been normal to have somebody at gunpoint.

She hadn't enjoyed it. Not at first. But the thrill of control had overwhelmed her conscience, and turned her into something primal. A natural disaster. She licked her lips.

That wasn't who she was anymore. She had become better, more controlled. More civilised. She said, "think about the position _you're _in." She turned to Goon Two and cocked her head. "Whatcha gonna do?"

He held up his left wrist, with a duel disk attached. His breathing was shaky. She turned back to Goon One and kicked him in the chest, hard enough to send him sliding a few feet back. She hoped he got carpet burns.

Attaching her own duel disk, she said, "so how do you wanna do this? I'll let you pick any format you want." She winked, before removing the gun's magazine and cocking the round from the chamber, and dropped it.

Goon One's nose flared as he strapped on his disk and activated it. "We'll play with a shared tag field."

"Alright then," she said, pressing the button under her wrist.

"Duel!"

**Amelia: 4000**

**Goons: 4000**

"I'll go first," said Amelia. "There are two of you, and besides, this way it's impossible for me to wipe you out on my opening turn. Fair, right?"

"Just get on with it," growled Goon One.

She smirked. "With pleasure. I'll begin with the spell card, System Reboot! I discard any number of cards from my hand, and draw the same number from my deck!" She sent two and eyed the two she drew before sniffing and setting them both. "I end my turn."

Goon One guffawed, clutching at his midsection. "Champion o' the world and _that's _the best you can do?"

Goon Two stood tense, his lips a tight line in the opening of his headwear.

Amelia chuckled. "If it's so laughable, then you should have no problem beating me."

"I won't. It's my turn!" The strangely geometric mook drew his card and grinned. "I summon my Goblindbergh to the field!" A red biplane flew in through the ceiling and started circling. It didn't really have anywhere else to go. Within the cockpit was a goblin in an aviator's outfit, and a corrugated container hung from it on wires, swaying as the plane flew **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1400)**.

Goon One continued, "and by switching him to defence mode, I can special summon a level four from my hand! I choose the Goblin Marauding Force!" The wires were released, letting the container clang to the floor and burst open as a company of blonde goblins with wooden armour emerged **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1900) (Goblindbergh DEF: 0)**.

The corner of her lip played upwards. "Good choice of deck. It really suits you."

"Goblin Marauding Squad," he said, "attack her directly!" The group of goblins charged her down, slicing and clubbing and stabbing until they'd all had a turn **(Amelia: 4000 - 2100)**.

She brushed some imaginary dust from her shoulder and looked at him, wiggling her eyebrows. "So your Goblins switch to defence, and I appear to still be standing." The goblins all took to a knee **(DEF: 0)**.

Goon One growled. "Let's see how long that lasts. I set three cards and end my turn."

No main phase two Xyz summon? Either he was really that bad, or those face-downs would have made it pointless. Either way, they couldn't beat her. "I draw," she said. "And I summon System Manipulator Raita!" The robot materialised, clicking away at the typewriter on its chest **(Lv. 3, ATK: 300)**. "And when he's summoned, I can discard a card from my hand to special summon a System from my deck!" She sent a card to the graveyard.

"Ha!" said Goon One. "You wish! I activate two of my face-down cards: Skill Drain and Final Attack Orders!" The colour washed from their duel field, shades of grey all that remained as the monsters present were relieved of their effects. At the same time, a green aura enveloped the two defending monsters, bringing them back to offensive positions **(ATK: 1400) (ATK: 1900)**.

She bit her bottom lip. "Looks like there's nothing I can do, then. Here's your chance. I end my turn."

Goon Two put his fingers on his deck, but didn't draw. She could see sweat beading around his mouth and eye sockets, and he was doing a reasonable impression of a man who had developed Parkinson's. It wasn't a simple fear of her, she thought.

"She's wide open," said Goon One. "Have her!"

He nodded, inhaling slowly through his nose. "Yeah… yeah! It's my turn!" He scanned his hand for a moment. "I activate Reinforcement of the Army!"

"No you don't," purred Amelia. "I negate it with the quick-play spell card, System Boot Failure!"

Goon Two grit his teeth and inhaled sharply. "In that case, I'll just summon the Goblin Attack Force and have them attack your Raita!" A crowd of buff goblins with leather chest plates and spiked clubs took to the field **(Lv. 4, ATK: 2300)**, instantly turning greyscale as they swarmed the screaming machine **(Amelia: 2100 - 100)**.

"And now," said Goon One, "my Robbin' Goblin will take the last card from your hand!" A goblin with a sword and a swag bag leaped from the ground, throwing Amelia's card to the graveyard.

She smirked. "Shame. You might have won if you hadn't done that."

Goon One scoffed. "You have a set card and no monsters."

"You sure? Because whenever System Manipulator Gramm is discarded from my hand, I can special summon her in defence mode!" A golden android appeared, scribbling in a notebook. Her features looked human, if not for the metallic sheen **(Lv. 4, DEF: 1200)**.

"That doesn't matter!" said Goon Two. "We have two monsters, and you have one!" His voice was frayed, like he had something in his throat, and she thought she could see the ripples of his heart trying to escape from his chest. The boy was crying out for help.

But that could wait until after she'd won. "So go ahead and attack," she said.

Goon Two pointed a trembling finger at her monster. "Goblindbergh, destroy System Manipulator Gramm!" The plane flew over her side of the field, dropping enough holographic napalm to make the shop an approximation of the ninth ring of hell. The monster screamed as it shattered.

"When Gramm leaves the field after being summoned by her own effect," said Amelia, "she's banished."

Both goons grinned, though the expressions couldn't have been more different. Number One's was wide, and relaxed, whilst Number Two's was toothy, tense, and mirthless. Goon Two said, "and now you're wide open for real! Goblin Marauding Squad, finish her off!"

She pouted. "Y'know, for you, I just don't think that deck's quite right."

He blanched, and stalled, but he said nothing and let the attack continue.

"Doesn't matter what you think!" Goon One jeered. "You're about to lose!"

She gave an exaggerated sigh before shaking her head, looking at the ground. She looked back up with the most sadistic smile she could muster, which wasn't hard, and was enough to make even the toughest want to pull the hole back in with them. "By banishing my Defense Algorithm from the graveyard, I can negate your direct attack."

A wall of code sprung up in front of her, barring the path of the goblins as they foamed at the mouth. Goon Two, predictably, crapped himself, his knees appearing to be made of slinkies as he tried not to hyperventilate. Goon One stepped back and clenched his jaw, but otherwise kept his composure.

"I… I set two cards," said Goon Two, "and end my turn."

She put a hand on her hip and eyed them both. "Well now," she said, "you've both had a turn, and you failed to beat me. So you can't really call it unfair if I decide to crush you now, can you?"

Goon One snorted, his square frame elongating slightly. "You've got absolutely nothing. Next turn-"

She cut him off with a fit of laughter, all the breath leaving her as she spasmed uncontrollably. Finally, she wiped a tear from her eye and said, "don't you get it? You don't have a next turn."

Goon One merely sneered, but Goon Two's exposed patches of skin turned the perfect opposite colour to his clothing. He understood.

"I'll start with another trap card from my grave: System BSOD!"

"Another one?" said Goon One, taking another step back.

"Should've seen it coming," she sang. "My strategy is common knowledge by now. But just in case you don't know what this one does, I'll tell you. By banishing it, I can negate all the cards you have face-up on the field!"

The two goons' lower jaws decided to embark upon a drilling mission to the Earth's core as their three continuous traps were encased in stone, and the monsters flashed with colour before turning grey again.

"Since that silly little Skill Drain is out of the way, why don't I show you what the last card in my hand can do? I activate the spell, System Reborn!" A giant, archaic computer built itself up, an ankh appearing on the completed screen. "By destroying one of my face-down cards, I can special summon a System monster from my graveyard, and I choose System Manipulator Zipp!"

The zipper appeared **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1100) **and opened itself, shooting a card into her hand. She said, "with his effect, I add System Manipulator Dev to my hand, and summon him!" The monster joined its compatriot **(Lv. 4, ATK: 1200)**.

"And what is that pair of weaklings supposed to do?" spat Goon One.

She winked. "Patience, now. When Dev is summoned to the field, he adds a System spell or trap card to my hand!" The robot wrote a few lines in the air with its wrist-laser, and they coalesced to form a card which Amelia took and showed to her opponents. "The card is System Basic Error, and I'm gonna activate it now!"

Goon One made every attempt to turn his own teeth to dust as he paled, watching a monolithic tablet screen pop from the floor between them and beep out a tune before short-circuiting and exploding. The army of goblins, as well as Amelia's robots, took to a knee **(DEF: 0 x3) (Dev DEF: 700) (Zipp DEF: 400)**.

"One day it'll beep the OP," said Amelia. "For today, all it does is switch every monster on the field to defence mode!"

The other goon's eyes drooped, and he pouted as he said, "but now your monsters are in defence mode too."

She smirked. "Excellent observation. One you don't seem too happy about." She watched him freeze and stutter as Goon One glared between the two of them.

"Don't let her get in your head," he said. "We've got this." It sounded more like he was reassuring himself than his partner.

"I'm not the problem," she said, turning back to Goon Two. "You'll be pleased to know that neither of them are sticking around for long. I overlay my two level four System Manipulators!" The overlay network spiralled into existence on the ceiling, almost close enough to touch. Her two monsters morphed into balls of light, which span up into the galaxy.

She said, "understand and manipulate the system to pierce through the barrier! Take control, System Administrator Extender!" A skinny man in chain-mail descended, with a glowing chestplate and helmet, wielding a piledriver as big as he was on his right shoulder **(Rk. 4, ATK: 2000)**.

"But our monsters are in defence mode!" said Goon One. "You can't do any damage!"

"Is that so?" she said. "Why don't we test it out? Extender, destroy Goblin Attack Force!" The monster sprung into the air, slapping the back of his weapon and sending the spike through the heart of the Attack Force's leader, causing him and his minions to shatter. The spike extended to strike the goons **(Goons: 4000 - 2000)**.

Goon One stumbled. "What the…?!"

She eyed him like a billionaire would cheap labour. "System Administrator Extender inflicts piercing damage when battling a defence position monster."

Goon Two clenched his fist. "B-but-"

"I'm gonna stop you before the stupid thing comes out of your mouth," she said, "and remove one overlay unit to activate the effect of Extender!" One of the stars orbiting the armoured monster was absorbed into its piledriver. "When this card destroys an opponent's monster in battle, it can attack again!"

"That's bollocks!" cried Goon One. "We were so close…"

"Oh please," she said, "you may as well be on Pluto. Extender, attack Goblin Marauding Force and finish this!" The piledriver extended from its shoulder, towards the edge of their makeshift field. In one sweep, the spike cleaved through all the members of the Marauding force, long enough to slash the goons as well **(Goons: 2000 - 0, winner: Amelia)**.

They both dropped to a knee, and Amelia walked towards them. Goon One, eyes feral and frenzied, turned to his compatriot. "What are you waiting for? Kill her!"

Goon Two stammered, his attempt to find words as successful as the UK's twenty-twenty pandemic response. Goon One tried to find his feet as she closed, but she halted him with a roundhouse kick. He slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"Now then," said Amelia, crouching down as she reached Goon Two, "I think you and me should have words."

He scrambled backwards, towards the front door, whimpering.

She followed him, reaching out and ripping off his balaclava. He was fair, and youthful, his face contorted as he tried to breathe deeply. She cupped his cheek and said, "you don't have to worry. I'm not gonna hurt you. What's your name?"

"Ph- Phil," he said.

"Okay Phil," she said, "what are you here for? What does Terry want?"

He pursed his lips and hesitated before answering. "Duel disks."

"Why?"

He shook his head vigorously. "I don't know. He wouldn't tell us."

"Something to do with the SGL?"

"Probably."

"Alright. How old are you, Phil?"

"Nineteen."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "You have so much ahead of you, so why are you working for a scumbag like that?"

He grit his teeth and huffed. "How the fuck would someone like you know what's ahead? What would you know about keeping a starving sister alive?"

She sneered, remembering how the last people who had thought that way had ended up. Not by her, but she was sick of the assumptions. She had suffered, too. "You have no idea what I know. How would that little sister feel if you ended up in prison?" She watched as tears threatened to fall from his eyes, and stood up, offering a hand. He took it, and she said, "get out of here."

He gasped. "Why?"

She shook her head. "You don't seem like the kind of person who wants to do this. So go, and tell Terry that he's not getting through me."

"He's not going to be happy," said Phil.

She shrugged. "I can't save you from the consequences of your own decisions."

"Thank you," he said, going around the counter towards the back door. "I don't know how I can repay you."

She flashed her teeth. "I'm sure I'll think of something."

He left, and Amelia was alone with an unconscious heap on the floor. He groaned as she approached, so she placed a foot on top of his face and pulled out her phone.

Mackie was going to love being summoned at three AM.

* * *

**ED1: Shinedown - Better Version**

* * *

**A/N: Oh yeah, I went there. Covid existed in this universe, purely for the purpose of me making satirical metaphors. The fourth wall no longer exists, Billy's in some trouble, and Amelia managed to get one-up on Terry. Exciting, to be sure. Worth the 4-month wait? That's for you to decide. It should be patently obvious by now, but me and schedules do not mix well. I intend to release as often as possible from now, and always on a Wednesday. Here's to hoping my ass doesn't burn out again. And all that's left is this week's**

**Trivia Corner  
****This story has 3 main influences: Yu-Gi-Oh! Is obvious, and I've mentioned the Gintama influence. The third, though, is the reason I'm trying to go so deep into the characters and almost turn it into a character study, and that's My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU. If you've never seen it, watch it. It's fantastic.**

**System Manipulator Gramm  
****LIGHT/Machine/Effect  
****Level 4  
****ATK: 500 DEF: 1200  
****If this card is discarded from your hand: you can special summon this card from your GY. If this card is special summoned in this way, it is banished when it next leaves the field.**

**System Administrator Extender  
****LIGHT/Warrior/Xyz/Effect  
****Rank 4  
****ATK: 2000 DEF: 0  
****2 level 4 'System' monsters  
****When this card attacks a DEF position monster: inflict piercing battle damage to your opponent. Once per battle phase, when this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle: you can remove 1 Xyz material from this card; it can attack again.**

**System Reborn  
****Normal Spell  
****Destroy 1 face-down spell/trap card you control to target 1 'System Manipulator' monster in your GY; special summon that target.**

**System Basic Error  
****Normal Spell  
****Banish 1 spell/trap card from your GY; change the battle positions of all monsters currently on the field.  
****If this card is in your GY: ?**


End file.
